


Whatever It Takes

by Littlemistake



Series: Ben and Rey's Detective Agency [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Armitage Hux is a Jerk, Ben is infuriating but ridiculously handsome, Ben wants Rey to take his sausage, Ben wants to eat Rey's pie, Cunnilingus, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Smut, No dicks were hurt in the writing of this story, OMG his dick tho amirite?, Poe is a dickhead, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:00:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 35,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21804115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Littlemistake/pseuds/Littlemistake
Summary: “You...want...to pay me to be your girlfriend?”“No, no,” he responded quickly. “I want to pay you to act like you are my girlfriend. There’s a difference.”Rey wasn’t sure that she saw the nuance, her head was still reeling from his unexpected offer. An offer that could solve one very large problem for her and for Maz, but create another headache in the process.“But why? I don’t get it. I mean, you are handsome and built like a brick shit house. Your personality and charisma leave much to be desired but there are women shallow enough to overlook such things. Surely you can find a girlfriend without paying for it?"The woman he had referred to as Connix chortled through the phone.“I think she digs your bod Solo, but looks like you need to work on the charm.”
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: Ben and Rey's Detective Agency [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1659721
Comments: 238
Kudos: 556
Collections: The Pink Ladies Love Exchange





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Darkcat18](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkcat18/gifts).



> For the lovely Darkcat18 who owned my butt while this was all anon.
> 
> I have also reposted Chapter 1 after tinkering with it a bit, so it might be worth rereading again because I love a good caper and I like to be cluey. I also updated the tags and bumped up the rating because since when do I not write explicit?
> 
> Thank you my most wonderful beta and fandom wife [MyJediLife](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyJediLife), you have been my champion in writing and in life from the very beginning, and you have been with me every step of the way with this story. You are always there to encourage me and I thank you so much.
> 
> Thank you [Spacey_Gracie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacey_gracie) you keep me going and motivated even when I want to burn the whole thing down and your endless encouragement is a gift.
> 
> Thank you also to [ReyloBrit](<a%20title=) for giving me some excellent points on how to improve this story - so appreciated.
> 
> Okay now that we are off anon, I would like to make a public service announcement. If you go to the comments you may come across a response from me that is a little.... churlish. Please note that it was all in jest and no penises, real or imagined have been or will be harmed in the making of this story. I unreservedly apologise for any harm I may cause the reader or their families and please forgive me.
> 
> (Please let me stay in the club)

Rey decided to take the longer route to work that morning. Her breath came in little puffs as she began the ascent up to the main street, and she could feel her internal temperature rise. She unzipped her windbreaker to cool off a little before continuing the steep climb. It was still early morning, and the shopkeepers were starting to put out their sandwich boards and roll up their blinds for the day’s trading. The smell of freshly baked bread on the seabreeze was enticing, and her stomach rumbled in appreciation.

The comfort in the familiar quickly dissipated as she looked up along the street to see a less welcome - but just as familiar - figure coming towards her. Rey groaned inwardly. 

“Good morning, Mrs. Timmons,” Rey said, plastering on a polite smile as she greeted the local publican. It was an amusing sight, the other woman fully made up and coffiered for her power walk. 

“Rey, back from your visit, I see. Not dazzled by the glittering lights of London?” The older woman came to a halt, but continued her brisk march in one spot. Mrs. Timmons was a notorious gossip, so it stood to reason that she would know both of Rey’s holiday - and of her destination. There was not a chance in Hades that Mrs. Timmons would miss the opportunity to get any juicy details of her trip.

“Good to be back, it's nice for a visit - but I wouldn’t want to live there.” 

Mrs. Timmons nodded sagely in response, there was no place in England quite like Finley-On-Sea.

“Meet anyone nice on your travels?” The question was delivered with an inquisitive look.

“No, Mrs. Timmons. Simply visiting a friend,” Rey replied coolly as she wrapped her windbreaker around herself a little tighter.

“Well, after that dreadful business with Poe Dameron, I can’t say I blame you for being gun shy...”

Rey resented the sudden turn of conversation to her ex fiance and the shameless push for more information. Rural seaside life was predictable enough, the routines and goings on etched into the fabric of the town like the grooves on a record. However, it did mean that everyone’s business was the town’s business - or Mrs. Timmons business to be precise. Rey quickly scrambled her thoughts to right the situation. 

“Mrs. Timmons, it has been lovely to see you,” she said, saccharine sweet, “but I must continue on. I don’t want to be late for my first shift back at Highton House.” She nodded her goodbye and resumed her journey, ignoring the surprised look on the other woman’s face.

Rey seethed as she continued up the steep road. 

She felt a little better as the welcoming sight of Highton House came into view. Rey supposed it was a “house” when it was compared to the grand Finley Manor that perched high above the town, overlooking the rolling green hills that led down to the sea. But what Highton lacked in grandeur, it made up for in charm. Nestled into a traditional english garden, the darkened brickwork that covered the two wings of accommodations spoke of a history that dated back two hundred years. Maz, the proprietor, was the fourth generation of her family to run the hotel, and Rey loved working for her. Maz may have been small in stature and wizened in face, but all that was outweighed by her fierce capacity to love and protect those closest to her. 

Maz was family, the family Rey had never had. The family Rey thought she would have expanded to include Poe. Charming, handsome, _duplicitous_ Poe. It was Maz and Rose that had held Rey in the days after Poe had skipped town. Rose who had make sure that Rey still ate, bathed and brushed her teeth. Who had stroked her hair as she wept bitterly for the future that had been denied to her. 

Unfortunately, Poe had taken the liberty of emptying their joint bank account, so it was Maz who had paid the angry wedding contractors with the money set aside to fix the hotel plumbing. 

It was also Maz who knew some likely lads in London that could pay Poe a visit. As much as Rey was hurt, and heavily in debt, she didn’t actually want for him to have his food administered through a feeding tube for the rest of his life. 

Rey pushed the thoughts from her mind as she opened the heavy wooden door. The familiar, pleasant smell of rose water and lavender greeted her as she made her way into the kitchen to start the breakfast shift. 

Maz smiled as she entered, and Rey beamed back. Rey sensed a chaotic energy about the hotel that morning, so there was no time for pleasantries. 

“Rey, I am so glad to see you, my dear girl. We are short staffed, so can I get you to take Mr. Canady his breakfast in the dining room, and then bring a fresh set of towels up to room ten? He’s a rather intense fellow, so best get on to that one quickly. After that I need you to give me a hand in the dining room again.”

Rey quickly tied her apron around her waist and secured her name tag before grabbing the breakfast plate. She was still unsettled by the thoughts of Poe, but managed to smile at Mr. Canady as she brought him his bacon and eggs.

Mr. Canady did not smile back.

_Hope the bacon gives you heartburn, you grumpy old codger._

Rey then bustled her way into the linen room, the comforting smell of fabric softener enveloping her. She resisted the urge to bury her face into the towels as she collected a fresh set for the “intense” guest in room ten. 

Difficult guests were one of the occupational hazards of working at Highton House. But Rey prided herself on being able to rise above the obnoxious attitudes of some of the people who stayed there. Local work was scarce in off season, and she wanted to stay within the boundaries of the sleepy little hamlet that was her home.

Towels held closely to her chest, she crossed the lobby that connected the two wings of the hotel, heading for the stairs. Poe, Mr. Canady, Mrs. Timmons. They all swirled about in her mind like tornadoes as she climbed the stairs, and it bothered her that she was so unsettled when she should feel safe back in her routine.

Her mind was still elsewhere as she placed her foot on the landing, her eyes unfocused on the burgundy carpet that was flecked with gold. She didn’t recall a brick wall being located at the top of stairs, but that's what it felt like as her momentum was abruptly halted by a broad chest and shoulders which towered above her.

She screamed as she was flung backwards, and for one dreadful moment she was sure that she was going to plummet to her doom. The towels and washcloths sailed into the air as she wildly waved her arms about to regain her balance. The sound of a cell phone crashing to the floor was the last thing she heard, right before a pair of very large, very strong - but also very soft - hands gripped her firmly around her upper arms to prevent her from falling.

Relief flooded her as she was suspended over the staircase, and she realized she was not going to plummet to her doom. As she gathered her wits about her, she looked up to see that the owner of the hands was also in possession of a warm pair of whiskey brown eyes. She forgot her precarious position as she took in the rest of her savior. Foppish dark hair that dipped endearingly over his forehead, and a strong nose and pouty lips that invited themselves to be kissed. He smelled good too, a mixture of soap, earth and vanilla. It was a heady mix that took her breath away. 

It had been some time since someone had done that, and the last time had not turned out well for her.

His warm brown eyes narrowed as he did his own assessment of her, and it was like an electrical current passed between them, her arms tingling where he held her. The moment was broken as he pulled her to complete safety further onto the landing.

“You really should look where you are going,” he said pointedly, his plush lips pursing in disapproval. There was something in the rich timbre of his voice that carried a distinctly American twang that did funny things to her stomach, but then Rey felt ire suddenly wash over her at the unfairness of his attitude.

“I could say the same to you,” she retorted, pointing at his phone on the floor in accusation.

He huffed at her response, then eyed the towels that lay scattered down the staircase. “I suppose they were my towels. I had waited so long to have them brought to me that I gave up and decided to head down to breakfast. Which, I suppose by the time I receive it, could be classified as my evening meal.”

Rey immediately look offense to his disparagement. Maz and the hotel staff worked hard to retain their five star Trip Advisor customer service rating, although it had slipped as of late with the plumbing complaints. She realized this was the guest that Maz had warned her about, although she thought that Maz had somewhat undersold what an arse he was.

“Sir, I am sure if you head down to the dining room you will find everything is in order,” she said icily.

“We shall see,” he replied, his tone doubtful. “Please bring a fresh set of towels to my room, I do not wish to dry myself on the detritus of others.”

She had the sense that he was goading her, as if she would not have replaced them with a new set. But she was not going to give him the satisfaction of taking the bait.

“Of course sir. Right away,” she clipped. “I hope you find breakfast to your satisfaction.” She added a syrupy sweetness to her last statement, eager to show that even though he was a git, she was able to rise above it.

He snorted and then bent down to retrieve his cell phone. Her eyes grew wide as she drank in the wide expanse of his back, and she found herself resisting the urge to scratch her fingers along it. A heat spread low in her belly, a feeling that had long remained dormant since the love of her life had left her jilted and holding the bill.

To her surprise, as he righted himself and made his way down the stairs, he picked up the towels as he went, then, taking two steps at a time bolted back up to press them into her arms.

“Thank you,” she said softly, bewildered by the sudden change in his demeanor, her voice suddenly holding a breathy quality that she didn’t recognize. “For this, and for rescuing me.”

His face softened for the briefest second, which eroded as his phone started to vibrate in his hand. The moment was gone as he glanced down and swiped to answer it, spinning around to head back down the stairs.

“Connix, what do you know? I arrived two days ago and I still have no new intel on the asset.” His voice no longer carried as he disappeared from view. 

Rey was not quite sure what had just transpired between them. She was still unsettled, but in a different way from before. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

______________

The problem with working at a small hotel was that it was… small. Meaning that she had to work across reception, housekeeping, room service and the dining room.

“Two bowls of cereal, four eggs and six rashers of bacon…. Burnt. I mean burnt. Not somewhat charred, slightly singed or crispy. Burnt.” The guest from room ten rattled off his order without so much as looking at her, instead intent on looking through the messages on his screen. Whatever it was that he read clearly displeased him, because he scowled.

Rey gagged at the thought of eating burnt bacon, but then again she guessed that whatever devil lived inside that man, it preferred its food cremated. Without a word she retrieved the cereal cart from the kitchen and wheeled it into the dining area. 

_Why did the good looking ones always have to be arsehats?_

She wheeled the cart over, noting he was now on the phone. He didn’t so much as glance at her as she stood next to him.

“What the fuck?” He growled, sending a shiver down Rey’s spine. “When is he due to arrive? Do you think he has the same intel?”

Rey shook a box of cereal loudly to get his attention. His irritation was evident at her intrusion, and as he pointed at his choice he scowled at her. She made sure to hold the package extra high above the bowl so as to generate maximum noise. She felt a childish triumph as he placed a hand over one ear to drown out the sound.

She knew this man wasn’t actually Poe. She knew that as much as he was a twat - she was being a prat. But the emotions inside her had a hold, and if she couldn’t let Poe have it - then she supposed this was the next best thing.

“Shit, ok, we need to go to Plan B, whatever that is. Let me have my breakfast, and then hopefully this god forsaken place will afford me a towel or something similar and then we can revisit.” She didn’t miss the pointed look thrown her way at his last statement. She resisted the urge to give him the middle fingered salute. Maz was a tolerant employer and wonderful friend - but not that tolerant or wonderful. She would probably frown on the itching powder that Rey felt compelled to dust the new towels in. Not that she had any on hand.

The rest of the breakfast service seemed like it was going to pass easily enough, as long as she ignored the incredible surly hulk in the corner, which was not that easy. Although he had an easier time ignoring her as he poured through the local newspaper like it contained the secrets of the universe.

She was offering Mr. Canady a fresh pot of tea when it really all went south. Mr. Canady was a long term guest at the hotel, and was forever complaining about anything and everything. 

“You know, this place is truly a shambolic operation, but do you know what the worst thing is about this place?”

Rey had a feeling he was asking a rhetorical question - because he was going to tell her anyway.

“No sir, I’m afraid I don’t.”

“I mean, I can accept the scratchy bedding, the bland food and the poor service,” he ventured, his crotchety face screwed in disgust. Rey knew that none of this was true, the bedding was soft and comforting, Maz was an excellent cook, and other than her snarky attitude to the man in room ten, they always went above and beyond for their guests.

“In the summer it teems with awful guests, and in the winter it smells like mothballs,” he continued. Rey didn’t think it wise to tell their long term guest that it was _he_ that smelled of mothballs.

“But what I simply cannot abide is the dreadful plumbing. Erratic, unpredictable, one moment barely a drip and the next sending you flying across the room with the force of a jet fighter. Even worse, the moment someone in the next room flushes the lavatory, I am greeted with a blast of ice cold water. ”

She was unable to refute that particular accusation, and tears began to prick at her eyes. Mr. Canady looked pleased with himself as he saw the anguish spread across her face. She felt dreadfully guilty for placing Maz in the position she had. Rey had tried desperately to get a loan from the bank, but was rejected at every turn - what with no savings to her name. Each day that passed meant that the reviews were getting worse, and there was a possibility that it could even affect the summer trade that Maz relied on to see them through the winter. It weighed on her heart so heavily.

At a loss for words and with a large lump in her throat, she spun around and headed back to the safety of the kitchen. Maz looked up in concern the moment Rey burst into tears once the doors were closed behind her.

“Maz, I’m so sorry,” she sniffed through her tears. “I’m so sorry about the hotel, I’m so sorry about the money. The plumbing is getting worse every day and I’m so scared it will affect the summer season.”

Maz wrapped her short arms around Rey’s middle and looked up at her.

“Don’t you feel bad for even a minute. This is all that Poe Dameron’s fault, he stole your money. I would do the same thing again in a heartbeat.” Rey knew that she meant it, but it still didn’t make their predicament any easier.

The two women stood in silence as Rey’s sobs began to subside. 

A throat cleared behind him, and they turned in unison to see the guest in room ten standing in the doorway. Color flooded Rey’s cheeks at being seen in such a state, especially by him.

“I, ah, just wanted to say that, ah, the bacon was done to perfection. It’s impossible to get proper burnt bacon in this country, so thank you.”

For an arsehat, he sure had nice manners on occasion, Rey thought to herself.

Maz smiled as Rey sniffed. “All part of the service, Mr. Solo. Did you receive your towels?”

Mr. Solo chuckled awkwardly.

“There was an incident on the stairs, I have been assured that a new set will be delivered soon.”

Maz looked in confusion between the two of them. Rey dried her eyes on the edge of her sleeves and attempted to regain her composure.

“I was just about to send them up to you… Mr. Solo.”

“That would be lovely,” he replied.

He nodded his farewell and then was gone.

“I suppose you should get our guest his towels,” Maz said, her tone filled with curiosity at what had just transpired.

A few minutes later, Rey knocked politely on the door to room ten. Mr. Solo filled the doorway as soon as he opened it. She quickly pressed the towels at his chest, bewildered that she was once again breathless at the sight of him. 

“Thank you,” he smiled stiffly. She was about to turn and go back to the kitchen when he gently grabbed her arm to stop her.

A thrill coursed through her, which she immediately chided herself for. She had sworn off the opposite sex for good, and the things this man was doing to her flew right in the face of it. She made a mental note to find out when he was due to check out.

“Ah, I was wondering… I would like to talk to you just for a moment.” His discomfort was evident in the way he stammered as he spoke.

“You would?” she asked in confusion.

“Yes,” he replied, his lips rolling together in a fashion that she found deeply alluring. She wondered what it would be like to kiss that mouth. 

_Stop that._

“If you would like to come inside for a moment,” he said slowly, as if he was having difficulty saying the words. “I have a business proposition for you.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben makes Rey an offer she cannot refuse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did some rework for Chapter 1, so you might want to check it out because there are some subtle tweaks that improved the story. Thanks!

Against her better judgement, Rey found herself standing in the centre of Mr. Solo’s hotel room, mouth agape and not quite comprehending what she had just heard.

“You...want...to _pay_ me to be your girlfriend?”

“No, no,” he responded quickly. “I want to pay you to _act_ like you are my girlfriend. There’s a difference.”

Rey wasn’t sure that she saw the nuance, her head was still reeling from his unexpected offer. An offer that could solve one very large problem for her and for Maz - but also create another headache in the process.

“But why? I mean, you are handsome and built like a brick shit house. Your personality and charisma leave much to be desired, but there are women shallow enough to overlook such things. Surely you can find a girlfriend without paying for it? Go to London, you are sure to find someone there.” 

The woman he had referred to as Connix chortled over the phone in his hand.

“I think she digs your bod Solo, but looks like you need to work on the charm.”

He blushed at Rey’s backhanded compliment, and Rey cringed that she had revealed that she thought he was one hot snack.

“I don’t need a girlfriend in London, I need a girlfriend - I mean someone who acts like my girlfriend, but is not actually my girlfriend - in Finley-On-Sea.”

Rey’s eyes narrowed as it dawned on her that he might actually be suggesting that he could pay her to have….

“How dare you proposition me in this manner, this is a family establishment and this sort of thing just does not..,” she was at a loss for words again. “How _dare_ you,” she repeated for effect. Also - because it was all she could think of to say.

“The fuck…. No!” he bellowed. “I can inform you that I do not mean to procure your services in a sexual manner. I mean, back in New York I have women lined up around Central Park wanting to spend a moment alone with me.”

Connix began to cackle in earnest. “It only lasts a moment? Really smooth Ben, real smooth.”

Rey had a hard time believing that he only lasted a moment. Ben - that was his name - looked like he was built for both endurance and performance, and she couldn’t imagine a woman going unsatisfied in his company.

_Stop that._

“You are not helping, Connix,” Ben said through gritted teeth.

“Ben, you know I couldn’t let something like that slide,” she chortled. “Rey, I assure you that there is no funny business intended, I mean, you will need to show some kind of public display of affection to be believable…”

“No!” they both yelped in unison.

“Guys, come on,” Connix said in exasperation.”Ben, the story is you met..”

“Rey,” Ben responded, staring at the name tag pinned to her chest. She felt her heart skip a beat.

“You met Rey, and you immediately became besotted with each other - and that’s why you are staying at Barnacles-in-the-Ocean. You didn’t fly all the way to London from New York to hold hands or pass notes. You are hot for each other. You can’t keep your hands off each other. That’s the story.”

There was no amount of money in the world that could entice her to get affectionate with Ben Solo. Her heart and mind couldn’t take it, although she sensed her body would manage quite nicely.

_Stop that._

“It’s Finley-On-Sea, and there is no amount of money in the world that could convince me to pretend to be your girlfriend,” she blustered.

He smirked at her reply.

“Really?” He said with a ridiculously sexy cocked eyebrow. “How much to fix the plumbing at the hotel?”

She visibly bristled as she glowered at him, and decided she would need to spend extra time fluffing the pillows and cushions as she turned over the rooms later that morning. Except for his room, _his_ pillows would remain flat and unyielding for the rest of his stay.

“That is a private matter,” she hissed, hoping to startle him into dropping the subject immediately - but to her consternation he remained unfazed.

“The arctic winter that was my shower yesterday is hardly a private matter,” he retorted. She was loathe to admit that he had a point, it was fast becoming public knowledge that the hot water service was packing up and moving to Ibiza.

“Twenty thousand… _pounds_ ,” she shot back, glaring at his stupidly handsome face. She was confident there was no way he would agree to such an exorbitant amount, and then the matter could be finally put to bed. She had a small moment of triumph as she saw his face blanche as the number sunk in.

He paused for a moment to consider the amount before responding, his lips pursed in displeasure. His full, plush, soft, and very kissable lips.

“Fine.”

It was her turn to double take - suddenly the stakes had risen much, much higher. It was no longer a simple matter of refusing to be in a fake relationship for whatever nefarious purposes he intended for a bit of cash. She now had within her grasp the opportunity to make things right for Maz, and the offer was now far more tempting. 

She scrunched up her face as she pondered his offer a little deeper. She felt _sure_ she had learned a hard lesson with Poe, and Ben Solo was a boorish, arrogant buffoon - albeit with occasional nice manners. If she did go through with it - and she hadn’t yet made up her mind, she reminded herself - she would be able to handle it, surely?

“What are the terms - and I insist on knowing why you want this arrangement.”

His eyes grew wide as he noticed the change in her attitude, and that he had inched a little closer to reaching a deal. Several moments passed between them in silence, the sound of her heart thumping in her throat filling her ears.

Rey heard muttering on the other end of the phone.

“Okay idiots, it’s 3am here and I really need to get to bed. Rey, there is a man that will arrive at the hotel this afternoon. A red headed asshole named Hux, and he will be there to find the same thing that Mr. Central Park is. We don’t believe he has the same information as us, so you have to convince him that the reason Ben is here is because he is in love with you. The idea is then Hux gives up and goes back to London. The more loved up you are, the shorter the charade will be. You really, really need to make it look legit, or everything will be ruined. You will need to at least publicly make out with him, but nothing more than that.”

Rey felt a thrill rocket through her at the idea of having to kiss him, even if it was in public, although she generally frowned upon public displays of affection. At least then she supposed it would keep things from getting out of hand. 

_No, there is no way you are doing this. It is lunacy._

_But the hotel…. The money…. Maz._

She needed to consider what she was doing, and she felt her control over the situation slipping from her grasp - if she ever had it at all. In the last ten minutes she had gone from wanting to stuff a fluffy towel up his nose, to offended, and now she was seriously considering his offer.

He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a business card.

“For your peace of mind,” he said as he handed the card to her. “Look us up, we are a legitimate business delivering a highly specialised service.”

_Benjamin Solo_

_Reacquisitions Specialist_

_Resistance Recovery Services_

What kind business was that - and what the hell was a Reacquistions Specialist?

“I have to think about this,” she croaked. “I need some time.”

“No!” Connix quickly barked over the phone. “No time, decide now.”

Rey held her ground. 

“I insist,” she said more forcefully this time.

Connix started to huff a response, but Ben cut her off. 

“Connix, it’s okay,” he said gently. “Let Rey think it through.” Rey was keenly aware that his soft brown eyes were still looking intently at her, never wavering for a moment. Rey could only blink in response. There was something in his soft tone that took her breath away, leaving her dumbfounded and off balance while his eyes still held her gaze. Like when he handed her the towels earlier that morning.

It felt like all that existed in the world was him, her and this room.

“Solo, what if she goes straight to Hux? This could fuck everything up, and we are so close!”

“My gut tells me we can trust Rey. It will be better in the long run if she is as comfortable as possible.”

Rey could hear Connix muttering her reluctant agreement.

“Thank you, Ben…” Rey started to say, but he cut her off by waving his ridiculously large finger at her. She resisted the urge to bite it. He had gone from nervous, to polite, to abrasive, to soft - and then to just plain infuriating. He was impossible.

“One hour, nothing more. If you can’t agree, then I will need to sort out another plan - and fast. Please, don’t tell anyone about this conversation.”

She nodded, and then with a shaking hand she grabbed for the door handle so she could get the hell out of there. She wanted to talk to Rose desperately, but that would be dishonouring the agreement she had just made with Ben. She would have to work this out on her own.

_______

Back in the laundry, Rey stared at her phone, willing Rose to magically message her so that if she _accidently_ started asking for advice that it wouldn’t really be a betrayal of Ben’s trust in her.

Because he did seem to trust her… which was odd. He agreed to give her space when she asked for time to think, and his eyes were kind as he did so. Then he waggled his stupid finger in her face.

She sighed heavily. She knew that offers like this did not happen everyday, and in fact it was an extraordinary bit of luck that she was even in the position at all. Twenty thousand pounds was an obscene amount of money for what could amount to only a weeks work.

From what she had gleaned from the company website, Resistance Recovery Solutions specialised in reconnecting rich people and companies back with their money and/or property. So, she supposed that he was here looking for something, and that’s what she needed to provide the cover for. So, that wasn’t so bad was it?

Was it?

Her phone remained silent.

_Bugger._

She supposed it could be worse, he was attractive enough. It wouldn’t be _that_ horrible to kiss him, if it came to it. Which she knew it would.

_What would Rose do?_

Rose was savvy and seized opportunities as they came to her. That was why she worked at the glamorous Finley Manor as an executive assistant, while Rey remained at Highton House listening to old farts complain about itchy bed linens.

Rose would tell her to agree to Ben’s offer.

Rose would probably also tell her to kiss that man as much as was ethically possible - and more besides.

_Rose wasn’t that wise._

Gathering her wits about her, she took a deep breath to help her push away the anxiety over the deal she was about to enter into.

______

When she knocked on the door for the second time that morning, it was only twenty minutes after she had left. For better or worse, she had made her decision. As nervous as she was at the idea of pretending to be his girlfriend, there was no way she could pass up the opportunity to make things right for Maz.

It was not like she had many other options.

As Ben opened the door, she was greeted by the sight of him in his bathrobe, his hair dripping onto the carpet in front of him as he used the towel slung around his shoulders to dry it. She felt as if her eyes might fall out of her head, the way his robe was draped around him, not secure but not gaping open either. She stared unabashedly at his smooth chest, unable to tear her eyes away, wondering what he might feel like under her fingertips. His skin looked soft and slightly damp, and her hand involuntarily clenched next to her thigh. Her reverie was broken when he awkwardly cleared his throat.

“You are earlier than I expected - and I did not enjoy my shower one bit. I have known icebergs that emit more warmth,” he said grumpily. 

Rey scowled in response, then reminded herself that he held the key to sorting out the plumbing mess.

“Can I come in?” she asked briskly. She was entirely flustered by his appearance, and with a sinking feeling deep in the pit of her stomach, she knew that it was going to be almost impossible to keep her cool while pretending to be his girlfriend. His personality left much to be desired, but there was a magnetic attraction she felt towards him all the same.

_For Maz. For the hotel._

He stood aside, and as she entered his room she made sure not to brush past him, which was difficult considering his sheer size. She noted he had taken the moment to more tightly belt his robe.

“I suppose I will do it,” she stated in a clipped tone. She didn’t want him to think she might get some perverse thrill out of their deal. He had to be convinced it was simply business, and she needed to remind herself that he was a duplicitous snake - just like Poe. 

His shoulders visibly relaxed at her agreement. “Thank you - I can’t tell you how much this means…” he began.

“I believe twenty thousand pounds worth?” she said, interrupting him.

“Well, yes, I guess that much then,” he chuckled, before his tone turned serious again. “Just, this job I am working on means a lot to me and to Connix. I can’t let Hux beat me to the punch.”

She felt a distinct unease that she didn’t really understand his purpose at the hotel, or in the town. What was it that he was looking for? She shoved the thoughts back down, she needed the money, and he needed the cover. 

“I am only doing this for the money,” she said sharply. “Is there some kind of paperwork or agreement I need to sign? I want this in writing.” There was no way that she was not going to make this official, there was too much at stake not too. At the same time she was torn between wanting him to like her, but keeping him at arms length at the same time. 

While pretending to be his girlfriend.

_I really need to talk to Rose._

“Of course, I will get Connix to arrange the paperwork, and once Hux has returned to London, or when I have been able to complete the job, then we will arrange the transfer into your bank account of choice.”

“You mean I won’t get paid until this Hux is gone?” 

“I am paying you for an outcome - not an experience. So either Hux leaves - or we throw him off the scent enough that I can execute the task,” he replied. For the one millionth time that morning, she realised she was in way over her head, but she had to see it through. Otherwise the hotel might not make it through another season.

“Fine, so be it. But I have one other requirement before I sign anything. I need to tell Rose.”

“Who is Rose, and why do we have to tell her?” he said, his eyes squinting.

“She is my best friend, and the most trustworthy person I know. She will keep my confidence - and I cannot do this without talking to her. In any case, she would not believe for one moment that I would get a boyfriend without telling her about it.”

“It’s great that she is your BFF, but no, I have no idea who she is. I won’t agree to it.”

They glared at each other, neither willing to back down. She knew she was compromising herself agreeing to this charade, but she could not lie to Rose. She felt ill at the idea of deceiving Maz - but she also knew that if Maz knew why, she would never let Rey go through with it.

“Look, if Lady Finley trusts Rose, I think you can too.”

“Lady Finley…” he repeated, confusion registering across his face.

“Yes, Lady Finley of Finley Manor fame, you know, Finley-On-Sea,” she said haughtily. She didn’t really have any connections at the Manor herself, but he didn’t know that.

He paused, staring at her with an inscrutable look upon his face.

“Will she agree to the same confidentiality agreement?”

Rey nodded quickly.

“Fine,” he responded, then to her surprise took a step towards her and stuck out his hand to shake on the deal. She felt a wave of desire overwhelm her at the sudden change in proximity.

She gulped, sensing somehow she had made a deal with the devil himself. His head cocked to one side at her hesitation. It was disarming, and she reminded herself once again that men like him were not to be trusted. She had to keep the wall around her heart for protection. She also had to appear blase about the whole arrangement, as if she went about making twenty thousand pound deals for nefarious purposes on a regular basis. 

She reached out to take his hand, resisting the thrill that coursed through her as his soft, large hand enclosed around hers. She was not a petite woman by any measure, but in his presence she felt as delicate as a butterfly. It seemed as if his hand lingered slightly longer than strictly necessary, but she was sure she imagined it. They had a business deal, and a business deal only.

"I really must get back to work, before I am missed. We are short staffed today,” she said, eager to flee his presence and speak to Rose. 

**"** Of course, so I will see you later? Rey…..” 

“Niima, Rey Niima. Later?” she said. He wanted to see her again?

“Yes, Rey, in order to pull off the rouse that we are a couple we will need to do couple things. Like see each other. In public.”

She mentally slapped her forehead for being such a dolt. 

“I get off at three o’clock,” Rey said, then blushed furiously at what she had insinuated. “Off from work, I mean.” She groaned internally, and then wished for the earth to swallow her whole to prevent her from saying anything further.

Alas, her wish was not granted.

“Yes,” he said stiffly. “I will see you when you get off in the hotel lounge.” His face turned red as he was stricken by his own blunder.

“See you then,” she blurted, before beating a hasty retreat out into the hallway before he could reply.

Closing the door firmly behind her, she squeezed her eyes shut and exhaled the breath that she had not realised that she was holding onto. She sensed that while this deal would save the hotel, it might not save her from herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a comment slut and enjoy praise kink.  
> Thank you.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The deal is made binding, and the specifics of Clause 5 has Rey hot under the collar. In more ways that one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I bumped up the chapter count. Having lots of fun with this - chapters 4 and 5 are nearly ready to go and I can't wait to share.

“You’re _what_?”

“I am fake dating for money, so I can save the hotel.”

Rose took it about as well as Rey had expected. “Rey... are you sure? I mean, this is just not like you - you are usually so… _straight_. What are you going to tell Maz?”

Rey’s stomach sank at the thought of deceiving Maz, but there was nothing that could be done about it. “Nothing, I mean - I _want_ to tell her, but I can’t. She would do everything in her power to stop me, and this is the only way.”

“Is he a creep? I bet he is a creep!” Rose’s imagination was running away from her as per usual, her voice rising over the other end of the phone.

“No, he is not a creep,” Rey said quickly, although she reminded herself immediately that men like him always were. “He is actually kinda hot… if you are interested in the tall, dark and built look.”

The other end of the phone was silent for a moment.

“Rey….”

“Look,” Rey said in exasperation, she knew what her friend was going to say. “I have to get back to work.” To her relief Rose dropped that particular line of inquiry.

“There is no way I am letting you do this without checking him out first. What is his name? You said he was American.”

“Ben Solo,” Rey sighed. She supposed that Rose was right, she really didn’t know anything about him.

She could hear the _tippy-tap_ of Rose’s fingertips on her phone screen.

“Hmmm… nothing on social. What kind of person doesn’t have a social media presence? I might need to use the sources up at the house when I’m there in an hour or so.”

Working at the Manor meant Rose had all sorts of interesting sources of information at her fingertips. Lord and Lady Finley had money, and Rey had quickly seen that money meant obstacles could always be overcome.

“As you wish,” Rey agreed. “Really, I have to get back to work.”

“Oh, that reminds me, I need to talk to you later. Guess who arrived as a house guest last week? And in particularly horrible form, too?”

Rey groaned for her friend. Lady Snotface was back in town. 

“I’m sorry honey. Love you.”

“Love you back.”

_____

Three o’clock weighed heavily on her mind. What was she supposed to do? How was she supposed to behave? She hoped he would take the lead, given that he seemed far more adept at subterfuge than she was. She reassured herself that the butterflies in her stomach were from nerves. It was only natural that she would feel uneasy about their arrangement.

As it turned out, she didn’t need to wait for three o’clock to roll around to see him again. Ben found her in the dining room preparing for the midday lunch service, clutching what seemed to be a contract in his oversized paws. He shoved the paperwork at her awkwardly.

“Take your time to read this before signing,” he said brusquely. “It’s binding and my employer won’t hesitate to sue if the terms are breached.”

She gulped again, she hadn’t thought about what would happen if she broke the contract. She wished she had told him a larger sum, she was going to need another holiday after this.

“Of course,” she stammered.

“I need Rose’s details too, to send her the contract, plus yours to send you the executed copy.”

Rey easily relayed Rose’s email id, but he shook his head immediately. 

“No, not her work email, her personal one.”

She began to protest but he quickly cut her off. "Not negotiable.”

“Well, I suppose she could come here and collect a copy at three. She wants to check you out… I mean give you the once over…” she sighed at herself in exasperation. “She wants to make sure you are not a serial killer. I mean, you don’t even have social media so who knows what kind of weirdo you are.”

He smirked.“Rey, do you think _your_ long abandoned myspace page counts as social media?”

She had forgotten all about that.

“Oh, so you are checking me out, too?” she accused, more than a little embarrassed he knew that she didn’t have the kind of life that warranted selfies and retweets. She was perplexed with her reaction. Why was it important to impress _him_? 

“Of course I am checking you out, I need to make sure _you_ aren’t the serial killer. You can’t be too careful these days,” he said smugly. With that he about-turned and left her standing open-mouthed in the middle of the room.

_____

She read through the contract at the first opportunity. It seemed straightforward enough, until she arrived at Clause 5. Which, if she was being honest with herself--and she was not--was getting her hot and bothered, and not just at it’s prescriptive nature.

Clause 5: Public Displays of Affection

A. Minimum five (5) second kiss upon either greeting or farewell. Tongue optional.

B. Hand holding for a minimum of five (5) minutes per occurrence. 

C. Minimum one (1) declaration of undying affection (e.g. I love you, you are the wind beneath my wings, my love burns for you everlasting, you are my everything) said within earshot of Mr. Hux. 

D. Dinner date at a high profile establishment for at least two hours, including, but not limited to, staring into each others eyes and canoodling. 

E. Daily strolls at a time of Mr Solo’s choosing, must include Clause 5, Subpart B

F. One (1) application of a firm pressure of the mouth in a sucking or biting fashion by Mr. Solo to Ms Niima or vice versa that results in bruising, commonly referred to as a “Love Bite” or “Hickey”. 

G. All other forms of bodily contact including, but not limited to: touching, stroking, kneading, licking, tasting, inserting or grinding, in a manner not already contained in the subparts A-F of Clause 5 above, must be agreed to by both parties in writing and only after approval from a representative from Resistance Recovery Solutions with the required delegation of authority. 

She was in open mouth shock at item F. Twenty thousand pounds or no twenty thousand pounds, she would not acquiesce to being the giver or receiver of a love bite. _No matter how plush and full the lips of the giver were._ She shook her head to push the thought out of her mind, she needed to hold on to her outrage. She found Ben reading a local history book in the hotel lounge. He sat up as soon as he saw her, surprise registering across his face. Which quickly turned to concern as he took in her thunderous expression.

“What is this?” she hissed, shoving the contract under his nose, tapping the offending clause with her finger.

“Huh?” His eyes quickly scanned the document. “This is all really standard, if you have an issue with subpart c-”

“Keep going,” she said brusquely, tapping her foot in impatience.

“There are worse things than a walk along the….” He stopped suddenly. “Fucking Connix,” he muttered, his face was flooded with colour as his reached for his phone. He looked at her as he waited for Connix to answer his call, mouthing the word, “Sorry.”

“What the fuck, Connix? Love bites… are we highschoolers?” he barked once Connix answered his call. Rey heard peals of laughter down the other end of the line. “We are not signing that… darn fucking right we are going to strike it out!”

Her anger dissipated as it became clear that the hickey clause was as much a surprise to him as it was to her. Her foot stilled.

He ended the call, muttering about how she would get hers while Connix could still be heard cackling down the other end of the line. He carded a hand through his hair, leaving it stuck up rather adorably. She resisted the urge to set it straight again. After all, it would be a breach of the contract.

Ben reached for a pen resting on the oak coffee table in front of him and with two definitive strokes struck the offending clause from existence.

“That was my colleague’s idea of a joke, I’m afraid,” he said apologetically. “We have a thing where we joke around, look it’s childish and usually pretty harmless, but this time she crossed the line. I’m sorry. I hope this doesn’t affect our relationship… our _working_ relationship but I will understand if you no longer wish to enter into an agreement with me.”

It felt impossible to steel her heart against the warmth of his soft brown eyes. He seemed sincere and she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“It’s okay,” she said, and she could hear that breathy quality in her voice again. She had been so intent on shoving the contract up his nose that she had not quite comprehended how close she was standing to him.

“So, do we still have a deal?” he asked, his eyes locked onto hers. It was very disconcerting, she could feel lightheadedness swamp her as her breathing became more shallow. She didn’t think she was falling ill, given that the symptoms only seemed to occur when she was in the presence of Ben Solo. 

How the hell was she going to survive this - even if it was only for a few weeks?

 _You need to focus,_ she reminded herself. _This is a business deal, that is all. Nothing more, nothing less._

“Yes, Mr. Solo. We still have a deal.”

“Ben,” he corrected, handing her the pen. She fumbled and accidently brushed her fingers across his. Swallowing her sharp intake of breath, she could feel his eyes boring into her as she initialled each page of the contract. After what felt like an eternity, she was finally done and trying desperately to still her hand as she handed the pen and paperwork back to him. In her haste the pen fell with a clatter to the floor.

Without thinking she reached down to retrieve it at the same time as Ben, but given the height disparity as she clasped the pen and righted herself, she felt a rude blow to the back of her head as it came into contact with his chin.

“Ouch!” she yelped as he swore. She was mortified at her continued clumsiness, and was sure that he had to be regretting his choice of fake girlfriend and the ink wasn’t even dry on their contract, yet.

“Sorry! I didn’t… see you at three, Ben!” she blurted, throwing the pen at his chest, before retreating to the safety of the dining room before she could do any more damage.

_________

At ten minutes to three she found herself brushing her teeth in the staff bathroom - again - before applying a fresh coat of peppermint chapstick. Clause 5, Subpart A weighed heavily on her mind. A contract was a contract. She didn’t want to do anything to breach it - the hotel needed the money she reminded herself. She had tapped out five seconds on her wrist, it seemed like an awfully long time. She hoped he was a good kisser. She hoped he would think she was too. You could tell a lot about how a guy was in bed from…

 _Stop it_.

Taking a deep breath to bolster herself she made her way to the lounge area. She had fought an internal battle for most of the afternoon, wrestling with the idea of changing out of her serviceable but drab work attire. However, she couldn’t very well let him think she was trying to impress. She held her head high as she walked through the wide doorway, immediately spotting an amused-looking Rose sitting on one of the lounges. Ben was standing nearby talking in animated fashion to a tall red headed man - Rey immediately surmised that this was the asshole.

_Shit._

There was no turning back at this moment, she had to pretend he was her boyfriend, immediately. Summoning every ounce of her courage she strode over to the two men, neither of them noticing as she approached. She didn’t need to look at Rose to know the expression on her face was one of surprise, and she avoided her in any case she lost her nerve.

 _For the hotel_ , she repeated like a mantra as she sidled up to Ben and snaked her arm around his waist. She could barely made it round to the other side of him, he was all lean, hard muscle which made her swoon right then and there. She could feel the tension radiating from him, which increased as she completely closed the distance between them. He turned to look down at her with an inscrutable look on his face. 

_In for a penny, in for a pound,_ she told herself as she used her free hand to gently pull his face down to hers. 

“Darling, I’ve missed you,” she whispered against his mouth before his lips captured hers. She wrapped her hand around the back of his neck, burying her fingers in his soft hair. She heard a little mewl at the back of her throat as he gripped her waist and pressed her to him.

 _Oh… tongue,_ she thought dreamily as she parted her mouth to let him taste her further. She completely forgot to tap out the five seconds… _was it five already? Was it twenty?_ She lost all sense of time and place. There was nothing but Ben and his warmth and how he tasted like mint and vanilla. 

His hands bit into her sides as he held her tightly, but she didn’t pay any attention. She was lost in their passion, and could feel the heat that had been bubbling away under the surface since the moment she had laid eyes on him spill over. Her hand in his hair tightened in its grip as she felt tension pool low in her belly. Somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind she could hear Rose gasp as he began to nip at her open mouth, gently sucking the air from her and she moaned.

“Surely the two of you have a room for that sort of thing,” muttered Mr. Hux. “Really Solo. I don’t know why I’m surprised, your romantic propriety is just as lacking as your business one. It might be all well and good back in the states to eat each other’s faces off but here in England we...”

Ben pulled himself away to break the kiss, and it was as if the life had been sucked out of her. She wavered, unsteady on her feet and she felt him scoop her up under arms to stop her from keeling over. She looked up into his eyes and to her surprise she saw his pupils were blown and his mouth as red and swollen as she was sure hers must be.

“My petal, I missed you too,” he said throatily.

As she regained her bearings it dawned on her that she was actually at her place of work and she normally avoided public displays of affection. It had been easy to limit herself to hand holding and perfunctory kisses on the cheek with Poe, but this - this was something else entirely. There was a passion there that she had never felt before, a hunger and what felt like a need that only he could satisfy.

Mortification rose within her as she realised she had wantonly thrown herself at him. A few moments earlier she had told herself that she was only kissing him to honour their contract, but the sensations he elicited from her body told a different story. She was thoroughly confused and embarrassed.

“Who is this?” the red headed man sneered as he gave her the once over. Rey felt she did not make the grade from his expression.

“Hux meet Rey, Rey, this is Hux. Rey is my girlfriend and my reason for living. Hux is the bane of my existence and a waste of precious oxygen.”

She giggled as Hux’s face turned as red as his hair from indignation. “Pleased to meet you Mr. Hux. I would say I have heard so much about you, but my boyfriend has failed to mention you in any of our conversations,” she said, her voice dripping with insincerity. 

She saw Ben smile at her from the corner of her eye and he squeezed her a little in approval. It made her feel warm and fuzzy to know she had impressed him, and helped to take the edge off her embarrassment. Hux narrowed his eyes as he looked from Ben to Rey and then back to Ben again.

“Where did you two meet?” he said, Rey could tell he was not convinced.

Ben laughed, “I’m not surprised that you don’t know how to meet women Hux. On the internet, of course - we were a 95% match, we got to talking and now here I am paying her a visit.” 

The tale spun so easily off his tongue it made her nervous. Not that he was her boyfriend. She didn’t have to actually worry if he was a cad, because everything about this situation was false. Most likely even the reaction to her kiss was just for the benefit of the man in front of them. She had to remember that he was in town for business purposes and that it dictated every response he had to her.

Hux narrowed his eyes. “Hmmm, I’m going to keep an eye on you and I won’t leave you for a moment until I figure out what’s going on - I smell something fishy.” He looked about the room in disgust. “Well, I’m off to get booked into this _fine_ establishment.”

Annoyance at his tone ran through her. Rey wasn’t sure which man was more infuriating - although she certainly knew which one was more attractive. With a final sneer Hux turned on his heels and left.

At soon as Hux was out of earshot Ben turned to her and smiled, not breaking his hold on her. “You were fantastic, but we are not out of the woods yet. But wow, the way you just walked up and lunged at me...” 

She bristled at his characterisation of her behaviour, and roughly broke from his embrace.

“It was nothing. Just doing my job.”

He blinked in confusion and then took a step back. “Well, of course you were,” he carded his hand through his hair in his usual disarming manner and she quickly averted her eyes. 

The sound of a throat clearly broke the silence.

“Sooooo, I am Rose. I guess you must be Ben?” Rose stuck out her hand which he accepted. Rey felt an unfamiliar tug of jealousy as his hand engulfed her friend’s. It looked even more ridiculous considering that Rose was tinier that her.

“Rose, yes. Good,” he stammered. “You are here for the contract. Right.” He grabbed an unmarked manilla envelope from the coffee table and handed it to her.

“I suppose she’ll have the hickey clause in her contract too,” Rey said churlishly. She regretted it as soon as the words were uttered. Rose looked wide eyed at her friend, then back to Ben.

“Hickey clause?” she asked slowly.

“I assure you I went through the contract with a fine-toothed comb, there are no unwelcome surprises.”

It was stupid how much it stung he would consider a love bite exchange _unwelcome_.

“You should find everything in order, and I suggest you look at the confidentiality clause in close detail. I need to be getting back to my room, I have urgent matters to attend to.” He did not so much as leave the room so much as stalk out of it, a thunderous look on his face.

She didn’t know what reason he had for being upset, she was the one being insulted.

“Rey,” Rose said quietly. “Are you sure you know what you are doing? I mean, even when you were with Poe I never saw you make out like that. Plus… he _is_ hot. Universally so. No doubt about it.”

Rey shoved the worry that had risen up to her throat back down into the pit of her stomach.

“It’s fine, you don’t need to worry about me.”

Rose did not look convinced.

“You need to tell Maz, before she finds out some other way,” Rose said sagely. “Especially after what happened with Poe…”

Rey huffed in frustration. “You don’t need to worry.” Then softened her tone when she saw the hurt expression on her friend’s face. “This is just business, acting a part - nothing more.”

She didn’t really believe it though, and she was relieved when Rose dropped the subject to look through her contract. Because she was fast realising that there were two games of deception she found herself playing - one convincing Mr. Hux that she and Ben were falling for each other… and the other convincing Ben that _she_ wasn’t.

_________

She didn’t see him for the rest of the day which was both confusing and a little disappointing. Where had he disappeared to? 

It wasn’t until the next day that she heard from him.

_Clause 5 Subpart D. 7pm tonight. You pick._

Rey was immediately both elated and terrified as she read the text. Also annoyed, could it have hurt for him to ask nicely?

_Finley Pub, meet you there._

She sent back, which was immediately followed by a message to Rose

_Out to dinner tonight, the pub, What the hell do I wear?_

More importantly she wondered, why did she care? It is not like she needed to impress him.

_The Dress_

Rey pulled a face, she couldn’t believe she had ever let Rose convince her to buy much less wear _that_ dress for her engagement party to Poe. It was sleeveless, short, green and had delicate lace inserts across the shoulders. Poe had been appreciative, although he had still disappeared at the end of the night.

_It’s too much, I’ll feel overdressed._

_Honey, you don’t go out to dinner with a man like that and not dress up._

_It’s cold out, I should wear something more practical._

_Wear a jacket and then suck it up princess. The Dress. I’m coming over to make sure._

_Fine_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They are going on a daaaaaatttteeeeee.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Good evening darling,” Ben said smoothly as he stood to welcome her. His warmth took her by surprise and she knew from the heat of her cheeks that she was blushing. He stood behind her to remove her coat, as he did he leaned in and she felt a rush of desire as his breath caressed her hair.
> 
> “Don’t look, but I was followed here. Twelve o’clock, at the bar,” he whispered. “We need to make this good. The quicker he leaves town, the quicker you are paid.”

Rey’s legs were like blocks of ice by the time she walked into the Finley Pub. She felt ridiculous, and she was sure by now the carefully applied makeup and loose waves that Rose had inflicted on her had either melted off or flopped in the moist night air.

She must look a fright.

The soft lighting and warm wood panelling was traditional of many pubs in the area, as were the local landscape paintings that lined the walls. It was also the place where she had spent many evenings with Poe, and just being there again made the memories come flooding back to her. She spotted the stool, where she would sit and watch as he played darts. And the table in front of the television where she would sit while he watched the cricket.

It made her feel like the lamb led to the slaughter, but unfortunately this was the only establishment for miles around that met the terms of the contract. 

She saw her “date” waiting for her at a table by the fire. The light from the hearth cast a warm glow across his face and highlighted the glossy undertones of his dark hair. She was somewhat relieved to see that he was dressed for the occasion in a crisp white shirt and charcoal suit, while at the same time it was like the wind had been knocked out of her.

He was the most magnetic man she had laid eyes on.

“Good evening darling,” he said smoothly as he stood to welcome her. His warmth took her by surprise and she knew from the heat of her cheeks that she was blushing. He stood behind her to remove her coat, as he did he leaned in and she felt a rush of desire as his breath caressed her hair.

“Don’t look, but I was followed here. Twelve o’clock, at the bar,” he whispered. “We need to make this good. The quicker he leaves town, the quicker you are paid.”

She nodded, and she was very grateful that he could not see her face as his fingers trailed down her bare skin while he peeled her jacket away. She spun around to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck for Clause 5 Subpart A. Her intention to tap it out to five was immediately forgotten as he bent down to kiss her. Her mouth parted slightly as their lips met, and his tongue licked the seam of her mouth as his fingertips lightly traced the sides of her torso. She wanted more; she wanted to know what it was like to be closer to him, for them to explore and pleasure each other. She felt a groan begin to unfurl in the base of her throat which told her it was time to pull away. She had recognised at least fifty percent of the people at the pub and she didn’t need to set tongues wagging any more than she already had.

He followed her lead and took a step back, his eyes travelling down her body as he took in her dress. She cleared her throat, at once pleased and self conscious. He rubbed the back of his neck and a lock of hair fell adorably over one eye as he met her gaze. She found herself wishing that there had been something in the contract about being required to stroke his hair, but alas, she sighed; there was no such provision.

“Sorry,” he said sheepishly. “You look lovely.”

She was unused to compliments, and she froze like a deer in headlights. She could feel the blush spread again across her cheeks. Poe’s idea of a compliment had been to swat her backside as he asked for another beer.

“I just wanted to give you your money’s worth,” she said stiffly. Then wanted to die a little because she realised she’d made it sound like he had purchased a heck of a lot more than hand holding and five seconds of kissing.

She thought she detected a tug at the corner of his mouth, but the moment was broken as he hung her coat on a nearby stand and pulled out her chair, which faced her away from the bar. Was he actually a gentleman, or was this all just part of the act? If so, he seemed to know all the right moves. Poe never saw the need for gallantry. As she sat, she thought she should stop comparing Ben to Poe. Poe had been her fiancé, Ben was her fake boyfriend for cash.

Ben took his own seat and began to peruse the menu.

“What’s good?” he asked.

“What do you like?” She had no idea how to make a recommendation, as this was all very awkward. It was beginning to feel more like a real date than something for show. 

“Surprise me.”

“Well, the steak pie and chips are my favorite, as are the bangers and mash,” she said carefully.

He laughed, “That is not a surprise. Do we order at the bar?” She nodded. “Do you want anything to drink?”

She nodded; she was going to need it. “House red please.”

He smiled and she watched as he headed to the bar. She took the opportunity to appraise him again, twisting around in her seat for a better view. Even from the back he was magnificent. So tall and broad, she wondered what it would like to be with a man like that. To be pinned beneath him. Would he be a gentleman? Or would he ravish her? Perhaps both? She mentally shook the train of thought from her mind. It just wouldn’t do to allow herself to get carried away. There was not even the hint of possibility that they would spend the night together. She was a means to an end to him, just as he was to her.

He took the moment to lean across the bar to listen more closely to what Mrs Timmons had to say, offering a delightful display of his backside which caused her eyes to almost fall out of her head.

_Fuck, he is magnificent._

Suddenly he turned to point her out, and she saw the publican smile widely in her direction. She groaned; this meant word would reach Maz soon, which forced her hand to tell her boss herself. Rey made a polite wave, accompanied by a thin smile.

Ben returned to the table, with a glass of red wine for her and a beer for him. He sat and inched the chair closer to her, placing her hand in his. Her heart pounded as electricity had shot up her arm, and it was as if she had become aware of every single cell in her body.

He spoke softly. “So, now I would like to execute the second part of Clause 5 Subpart D - a little light canoodling, and to act as if we are two lovestruck idiots. Is that okay?”

She nodded and took a healthy gulp of her wine. His long fingers began to lightly stroke the inside of her forearm, and she felt her body clench in delicious tension.

How was she going to survive this evening?

“It’s probably best if we make small talk, to look natural…”, he paused for a moment. “Hmmm, let’s talk about Rose. How long has Rose worked for Lord and Lady Finley?”

“Huh?”

“Let’s just make light chit chat, while our friend is waiting at the bar for us to leave.”

“Okay.”

She felt as if under his spell; while he was stroking her arm it was very hard to think straight.

“How long has Rose been working at the house?” He repeated as he gazed into her eyes. She felt a strong urge to kiss him right there in front of half the town and the publican. Fuck propriety.

Her urges scared her, and so she took another gulp of wine. She rarely drank because her body didn’t seem to tolerate it well, leaving her three sheets to the wind with very little effort. But on this occasion she felt she needed it to help steel her nerves.

“About three years,” she said quietly.

“What do you know about the Finley’s? Do they like to entertain? Do they have house guests? What exactly does Rose do at the Manor?”

He lifted her hand to his cheek and began to nuzzle it with nose. Everything around them receded to nothing. What was it that he did to her? It both frightened and thrilled her. 

“She is their executive assistant. She organises their life for them, makes bookings, deals with all the things they don’t want to.”

“Really?” He said and then pressed his lips to her palm. She felt dizzy, as if she might faint. “You are doing so well by the way; to the outside world we look exactly like a couple in love.”

“Ah huh.” Was all she could manage. She finished her wine in one final flourish and immediately wished for a replacement.

“Tell me more; I’m just making conversation,” he purred.

“Okay, well… at the moment she’s planning a party for next weekend. So she needs to book all the caterers, chase up RSVP’s, that kind of thing.”

“Really?” He encouraged. “Planning a party sounds like fun.”

It suddenly occurred to her that it was odd that he was so interested in Rose. He sure had strange ideas on making small talk.

“Not really, this one is a black tie event so everything needs to be perfect, that’s on top looking after Lady Snotface’s needs.”

He let out a surprised laugh. “Lady Snotface?”

“Yes, the cousin of Lord Finley,” she leaned in to whisper against his ear, emboldened by his reaction. “She’s awful.”

He jerked his head as her breath brushed against his ear, and she felt the hand holding hers tighten. She pulled back; she had gotten too close it seemed… but wasn’t that the point? 

He cleared his throat. “Go on.” His eyes were dark as he looked at her, and she was gripped again with a wave of desire. This dinner was proving to be a heady mix of exhilaration and confusion. She knew that she had to appear in love, but at the same time she felt exposed; vulnerable in a way she hadn’t before.

“Well,” she said slowly, “she is rude, demanding, without morals, and completely entitled.” 

“I meet a lot of those in my line of work.”

“Really?” She was terribly curious about his job.

He sighed heavily.

“Money makes so many problems disappear. Corporate crime, family secrets, scandals - even blatant theft. People and businesses are far more concerned with how they want things to seem respectable to the outside world than making sure they actually are respectable.”

“How do you feel about that?”

He paused for a moment before answering,

“I still I have my own moral code - as does the organisation I work for. If there is a job that pushes beyond those, then I decline to take it.”

It almost sounded like he had… scruples?

“What about the one you are working on now?” She had to ask, the curiosity burned within her, but she was surprised all the same when he actually answered.

“This job… this job has extra challenges and opportunities. It has certainly has proven more difficult than I expected and has required quite _unorthodox_ tactics.”

She realised he meant her.

“So you don’t always hire a fake girlfriend to go to the pub with?” She joked before she realised what she had said.

He laughed and smiled. “No. My request certainly raised eyebrows with the legal department.”

She broke into a smile and laughed. 

“I bet!”

“They had to get a specialist legal counsel to advise them,” he chuckled.

“Connix has a law degree?” she snickered.

He snorted in reply. They giggled together and he squeezed her hand. She realised she was a little more comfortable, more relaxed than before. And she didn’t think it was from the wine.

“So, is it a big job then? It must be worth a bit, to pay me twenty thousand pounds just to hang out with you.”

He was about to respond when they were interrupted by the arrival of their dinner. Mrs Timmons looked especially smug as she placed their meals in front of them. Rey was highly annoyed by the intrusion when she was so close to finding out more.

“Well, well, well. Rey - it seems that you have been caught out. Fancy keeping such a specimen hidden away.” Her hand rested on Ben’s shoulder, her long red talons digging into the muscles that Rey had gripped while locked in their kiss only thirty minutes before.

It was ridiculous that she felt a sense of possessiveness rise up within her. It wasn’t as if Ben would be at all attracted to the other woman - and he didn’t even belong to her in any case. But she was highly irritated all the same.

“I don’t like to share, I suppose,” Rey replied with false levity, although she knew she was glaring. Somewhere in the back of her mind a voice told her to stop, that she was making an idiot of herself, and that Ben would either laugh or recoil in horror at the silly little English woman that had designs on him. But, she couldn’t help herself.

Mrs Timmons snickered. “Yes dear, I wouldn’t either.” Rey could see red tipped fingers lightly kneading his shoulder and it was all she could do from stabbing the hand with a fork. But it seemed that the assault on Rey’s equilibrium was not yet complete.

“You better look after our girl, Mr. Solo. After that dreadful business with that Dameron fellow, well we all thought it was impossible to die from a broken heart, but it really did seem that Rey was going to prove us all wrong.”

It was humiliating to be described as so pathetic, and Rey wanted to find a hole to crawl into for the rest of her days. 

Ben politely but firmly gripped Mrs Timmons’ hand to remove it. “Well, I can assure you the only name on Rey’s beautiful lips these days is mine - if you get my meaning.” The last statement was delivered with what could only be described as a saucy wink.

Rey’s humiliation immediately turned to delight as Mrs Timmons turned a brilliant shade of red. “Well… then… very good. Enjoy your meal, but I must get back to the bar.”

Rey smiled at Ben as the other woman retreated back to safety.

“That will really set tongues wagging,” she said with a giggle, although she really should have been horrified.

“All part of the plan,” he replied smoothly as he picked up his utensils to start his meal. “I think we’ve heard enough about me. Tell me about yourself, Rey.”

She laughed nervously as she did the same. “Oh, there is not much to tell.”

“I don’t believe that for a second. You strike me as the type of person who is calm on the surface but has all sorts of surprises underneath. How long have you lived in Finley-On-Sea?”

Was that comment meant to be a compliment? She just wasn’t sure. At the very least it revealed that he was at least interested in finding out more about her. It was a pity that she was going to disappoint him.

“About five years. I came for a holiday and never went back to London.”

She didn’t want to tell him it was because she met Poe - once per day in conversation was already more than enough for that man to get a mention.

“You lived in London? You don’t miss it?”

“Well, I miss people. I miss my friend Finn; we grew up together in foster care. But London… there is nothing for me in London.”

He cocked his head to one side. “That’s interesting - it’s not the people that keep me in New York - it’s the city.”

He cut a piece of sausage and speared it with his fork. When he offered it to her, she blinked in disbelief. She didn’t want his sausage.

“Take it” he mouthed - and she dutifully complied. She tried not to think how this utensil had also been in his mouth - his delicious, delightful, _beautiful_ mouth. 

“But the city is made up of people, right?” she said in between chews; she needed to keep the conversation going.

“Well… yes, but people change and move away, but the city is always there.”

“What do you do in the city then? If you’re not interested in company?”

“Oh, there is always company - at the Met, the Public Library, galleries, shows - that kind of thing.”

He nodded at her plate and she realised that he wanted her to share some of it with him. It was one thing for him to share his food - another thing entirely to share hers with him.

“You are not tasting my pie,” she growled in a low voice.

He cocked a ridiculous eyebrow and whispered back. “That’s what couples do.”

“In cheesy romance novels,” she retorted.

“Clause 5 Subpart C states canoodling. Food sharing is canoodling. I insist on tasting your pie.”

She swore under her breath, but still offered her loaded fork to him. It was obscene the way his mouth wrapped around her utensil, and how he gripped her wrist to hold it still. She hadn’t realised that she was shaking, and it was then that she noticed the throb between her legs. 

“So, you go by yourself?” she said, eager to distract herself from the heady waves of desire that were threatening to overtake her. There was no denying it - she wanted Ben Solo very badly, against all sense and sensibility.

“Largely,” he admitted with a nonchalant shrug as he placed her hand in front of her plate again. “I prefer my own company. Being alone with my own thoughts. Less complicated.”

“So having dinner with me is complicated then?” She replied tartly and instantly regretted the words. They were _not_ on a flipping date for pete’s sake, and it was ludicrous that she had taken offense.

“What…? No! I mean well yes - but no,” he blurted quickly. “I like your company.”

His revelation surprised them both and their eyes locked together. He rolled his lips as he looked at her intently, she felt alive under his gaze, while at the same time lost under his spell. He broke the moment by looking away back at the bar and then swearing.

“Where the fuck did Hux go?” he said in a low voice.

She spun around to look. “I don’t know. Maybe he went to the loo?”

He grabbed her wrist excitedly and gave it a tug.

“Let’s fuck with him - come on, let’s go.”

“But my dinner!”

“We can use this to our advantage and make him wonder where we went.”

She looked down mournfully at her plate.

“I have snacks back in my room,” he said in a low sing song voice.

‘What kind of snacks?” she asked darkly.

“All kinds - salty, sweet and all things in between.”

She gave herself a large metaphorical smack upside her head.

“You want me to join you in your _room_?”

“I would very much like for you to join me, in my room.”

“I don’t know…. According to the contract, that’s not allowed.”

“Unauthorised touching was prohibited in Clause 5 Part G, not sitting in a room pretending to be.”

“No way. Not doing it.”

“It might just send Hux packing.”

“How would Hux even know?”

“As luck would have it, your boss placed him in room eleven. Next to mine.”

“Oh... that's awkward.” 

“Yes, doing business just got a whole lot more complicated. But I have an idea on how we might use it to our advantage - to convince him we are a couple.”

She gasped. 

“I won’t, I shouldn’t, I can’t,” she said in horror.

He rolled his lips in irritation and looked at the men’s bathroom door in concern.

“No funny business - just snacks and making a little noise. _Please_.”

He tugged at her hand again and with that she had no choice but to follow his lead as he walked so fast out of the pub that she was practically being pulled along. She saw the looks exchanged between the patrons who knew her, and all she could do was manage a half hearted wave goodbye. She was keenly aware of how it appeared.

“You drove here? The hotel is just up the road.” she asked he opened the door to what she assumed was a rather nondescript hire car. She felt the cold against her wrist from where he had been holding her.

“Yes, I didn’t want to get lost,” he said. She looked up the hill where the hotel could clearly be seen. She didn’t miss the twinkle in his eye as she looked back at him. “But please, we don’t have much time.”

She smiled as she got into the passenger seat.

There was a slight screech of tires as he reversed and started his way out of the car park. With a quick flit of his eyes in the rearview mirror, he turned onto the main road that led back up to the hotel. Only he didn’t make the turn she expected.

“You are going the wrong way - the hotel is in the opposite direction,” she said in confusion.

“Oh, I thought we could take a little detour,” he said lightly. “Explore what your delightful little town has to offer.”

She was silent for a moment before speaking.

“But the snacks?”

He turned to look at her and lightly squeezed her arm. “I will take care of you, I promise,” he said gently and she felt she could believe him.

She relaxed a little into the seat, watching him as he handled the car. There was something in the deftness in which he navigated the winding road that made her desire him even more. The confines of the car had her keenly aware of how close they were, and in their haste they had forgotten to retrieve her coat from the stand. She shivered a little and he glanced down at her exposed legs before turning on the heater. She wondered if his gaze hadn’t lingered longer than was strictly needed.

They began travelling at a fast clip, and from the way his eyes occasionally darted to the rearview mirror, she knew that he was checking to see if they were being followed. From the darkness behind them, it didn’t seem like they had been. 

He made another turn and it dawned on her where they were headed.

“You are a real history buff,” she said curiously.

“What do you mean?” he asked, glancing nervously at her.

‘Well, right now we are going to Finley Manor which is the oldest home in the county, and just the other day I saw you reading about the history of the area.”

He glanced at her again; his face was difficult to read, but it was almost a mixture of surprise and well… being impressed. She had no idea why her keen observation skills should elicit such a response, although she supposed it had to do with his purpose here.

“Are you going to break into the Manor?” she asked with sudden concern.

‘No!” he barked, as if offended. “I don’t generally do that sort of thing.”

“Generally?”

“Rey, sometimes my job means I need to bend the rules to suit, but I assure you I have no intention of breaking into the Manor. I just want a little look around before I take you back to my room.”

She huffed.

“Back to my room for _snacks_ ,” he said irritably. 

She snorted softly in response to his attitude.

He parked alongside the boundary of the estate, which was flanked by a very high wrought iron fence. 

“Stay here,” he instructed, and it took every ounce of her self control not to poke out her tongue. He left the car running so at least she wouldn’t freeze to death.

“Some date,” she muttered to herself. Except, she reminded herself - this was no date, so if he wanted to leave her in the car while he went out skulking around, there was not much she could do about it. She was dying of curiosity yet again to know what it was he was actually doing. 

After a short while he returned to the car and immediately commenced warming his hands against the heating vents. He shivered a little and she realised that he was not dressed for the cool night air either.

Her stomach rumbled.

He chuckled and put the car into gear. The ride back to the hotel was silent, and every inch closer brought the awareness that she was about to be in his hotel room pretending to do the thing that people went to hotel rooms for. Except it was for pretend - and for snacks.

How was she going to make it out of his room with her dignity intact?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am loving the comments from readers so thank you! Part two of the date will be posted next week.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“What do you suggest… how do you suggest we do it - the noises, I mean?” She stuttered._
> 
> _“Well, um, shit - I didn’t really think this part through. Maybe we make the noises that we would usually make?”_
> 
> _She flushed red. “I don’t usually….” It was so awkward admitting that to him._
> 
> _“Oh,” he replied, shifting uncomfortably. “Okay… well, perhaps you could start with some moaning. Like I am doing something wicked to you.”_
> 
> _Her eyes were as wide as saucers as she processed his suggestion. She could think of plenty of wicked things he could do to her._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you my most wonderful beta and fandom wife [MyJediLife](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyJediLife), are a source of strength for me and helping me to improve my work. And making it readable.
> 
> Thank you [Spacey_Gracie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacey_gracie) you keep me going and motivated even when I want to burn the whole thing down and your endless encouragement is a gift. I love the way we work together.

Ben didn’t try to hold her hand as they made their way up the stairs to room ten. He seemed distant, as if he was regretting his invitation. She wondered how long she would be expected to stay - she hoped not long. 

As they reached the landing she saw Hux was waiting, leaning against his hotel room door. Revulsion rose within her - she hadn’t survived the foster care system without learning how to read people quickly. Her instincts told her that he was a snake, untrustworthy and not unlike Poe.

How was it that Poe had been able to get under her guard like he had? Truthfully, she had had her doubts about him in the beginning, but she was desperate to be loved. Desperate to belong, to connect. She had ignored her instincts when it came to love - to her own detriment. So anything she felt, or _thought_ she felt for Ben, could only be met with skepticism.

Ben snaked his hand around her waist to pull her close, and his breath was hot against her neck as he nuzzled her hair. Her legs almost buckled under her, and she was grateful for his arm tightening around her to hold her upright.

“Dickhead,” Hux said in frustration. “Thought you had given me the slip, did you?”

“Asshole,” Ben said evenly as he used his free hand to fish for the key. His arm didn’t move from her waist - instead he pulled her back to his chest as he worked the lock. She could feel Hux glaring at her, and there was no way she could meet his stare. At the same time, her mind was swimming with thoughts of dragging Ben inside his room to press him against the door and kiss him madly. 

As Ben pushed the door open, he had to give one last parting shot. “Hope we don’t keep you up buddy - but you know how it is when you can’t get enough of the one you adore… Oh, how insensitive of me - of course you don’t.”

She couldn’t help but giggle as he pushed her gently into the room and shut the door behind him. She was still laughing as she spun around to face him. Her merriment trailed off as she looked up at his face, which was looking back at her intently, but with a wry smile.

“You laugh at my jokes. People don’t often find me funny,” he said softly.

She was keenly aware that she was alone with him, and it stole any cute retort she may have deployed. The room suddenly felt very small, and it was difficult to breathe.

Her stomach growled again, disturbing the silence.

“Snacks,” he said, walking to his bedside drawer. “I said I would take care of you. Are you cold?”

“A little,” she admitted. 

He picked up the hotel bathrobe which had been resting on a chair. She knew it was the one he had worn from the day before, and it took all her self control not to bury her face in the collar to see if she could smell him. It turned out that she did not need to - the scent of vanilla and soap tantalised her as she put it on. It was a very intimate gesture, not one towards a fake girlfriend.

He began to toss a variety of packets onto the bed. Doritos, Cheetos and Oreos - all of which she had not tasted before. She was so very hungry, so she jumped on the bed to inspect them. Settling on the Oreos, she wasted no time bursting open the packet and beginning to feast. She definitely had a sweet tooth.

“Oh my god,” she said, her mouth stuffed full. “These are so good.”

He sat in the chair opposite her and smiled. “I always take a little bit of home with me wherever I go.” 

“So you travel a lot?” she asked curiously. She supposed that he would.

He removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves, revealing his strong forearms. Her mouth ran dry, and she wished she had milk to go with her cookies. The bastard was not going to make it easy for her, it seemed.

“Yes, although I am attempting to negotiate a more regular home base. Travelling is tiring; I still have the drive - but I am thinking it might be time to consolidate my clients.” He went on to continue, but then stopped himself. “Anyway, about this time I would expect we would be well and truly getting down to business.”

She froze, hand midway to her mouth to eat the cookie. “What do you suggest… how do you suggest we do it - the noises, I mean?” She stuttered.

“Well, um, shit - I didn’t really think this part through. Maybe we make the noises that we would usually make?”

She flushed red. “I don’t usually….” It was so awkward admitting that to him. She enjoyed sex, but it had never been an event about which she had needed to shout from the rooftops - so to speak.

“Oh,” he replied, shifting uncomfortably. “Okay… well, perhaps you could start with some moaning. Like I am doing something wicked to you.”

Her eyes were as wide as saucers as she processed his suggestion. She could think of plenty of wicked things he could do to her.

_Oh god._

She let a small moan escape her lips, but it came out as more of a squeak. He raised an eyebrow.

_Fuck.  
_

Moaning just felt stupid, so she decided on a different approach.

“Oh Ben… yes!” she yelled, which came out much louder than she intended. He jolted, sitting straight up his eyes wide. “Too much?” she whispered.

“Um, keep on saying my name, that part is good,” he said in a low voice, rising to sit on the edge of the bed. She shrank back to put more distance between them. “I’m not going to touch you, but I need to sound like I am close to you, not over on the other side of the room.”

She knew it made sense, and she knew his spot on the bed was as far away from her as possible, but it still felt dangerous. Like she was playing with fire, and while the pleasure would rage, the aftermath would be unbearable. Which was ridiculous, because she had known the man for less than forty eight hours. How was forty eight hours enough time to upend her emotions and thoughts?

“I’m sorry, I feel so stupid,” she admitted ruefully.

“No no, don’t be sorry, this is a very strange situation. Let me try,” he whispered. 

He let loose with a long, low groan that sent a tingle throughout her entire body. With his back to her she was able to freely gaze at him, his broad shoulders and glossy hair. It was as if she had suddenly come to life, and she could feel her pulse pounding. The tension low in her belly and between her legs heightened. He couldn’t look at her; he seemed transfixed by the floor and was gripping the bedspread tightly with his fists. It occurred to her that perhaps he was just as uncomfortable as she was, and she felt a little comforted.

 _Do it for the hotel, for Maz_ , she reminded herself.

“Ben, that feels so good,” she groaned loudly. “Don’t stop.”

She could see the tension in his shoulders tighten, and it took everything in her to not crawl across the bed and wrap herself around him.

“Shit, baby, you are the best.” he growled loudly. She melted when he called her baby. How she wished that she was really making him feel that way. She couldn’t breathe right from wanting him; heat pooled between her legs and the throb increased. She didn’t know how on earth she was going to get through this without throwing herself at him, which would be humiliating once she was inevitably rejected. She had to remember that. They were not really sharing an intimate moment, even though that was exactly what it felt like. This was a business arrangement to him, nothing less.

She moaned particularly loudly, and he jumped, the bedspread still clutched in his oversized hands, and it jerked underneath her. She figured that theoretically by this stage she would be approaching her orgasm, and for some inexplicable reason, she wanted Hux to think that Ben had exceptional prowess in what he was doing to her. Which she assumed Ben would, because the man seemed built for pleasure, from his size, to his voice, to his thick fingers and his beautiful mouth; it was if he was cast from every woman’s fantasy.

She began to moan a little louder, allowing her breath to come in soft pants. When he joined her, she thought she might climax right there, fully clothed without him even touching her. The low growls he made deep in his throat were exhilarating, and she had to admit how much she wanted it to be real and not play acting. It had been so long since she had felt this way - in fact, she didn’t know if she ever had.

The urge to have him take care of her desires was so strong that when he turned around to look at her, she thought she might explode. His eyes were like dark pools of molten chocolate, and she felt that he was just as affected as she by what they were doing. It frightened and thrilled her.

She felt as if on the edge of a precipice, that she could ask for more and he would give it to her. She knew it was crazy and foolish - and completely out of character for her to jump - but she was consumed with a burning need unlike any she had ever known.

In that moment she spoke something only meant for his ears, because she ached for it.

“Ben, please… I….,” she whispered. He leaned in, closing the distance between them, his eyes locked on her mouth. Her heart was pounding and her breath caught in her chest.

His eyes flickered up to hers.

“Rey.. do you want me to..?” He rolled his lips as he stared at her. She could see his arm was shaking.

Whatever was coming next was lost as a very irate sounding guest in room eleven began thumping on the wall between them.

“I get it! You are having at it like rabbits or barnyard animals or whatever other depraved scene you can think of. Would you kindly please be quiet, because some of us are trying to sleep. Solo, muzzle your piece of tail.” Hux hissed.

They blinked at each other in surprise, it was then that Hux’s awful words sank in. How dare he refer to her in that manner? He really was an asshole - as Ben had described him. Her eyes narrowed and her jaw set; there was no way she was going to let him speak to her like that.

Ben was having a similar reaction, and he rose as if to find Hux and make him choke on his statement. But that was not how Rey wanted to play this, and she leapt over to clasp his strong wrist to keep him with her.

She shook her head as she looked up at him, mouthing the word “no”. She had another idea, and his eyebrows rose questioningly.

She was still full of tension from her exchange with Ben, and although she didn’t want to admit it, she was also furious (yet relieved) that Hux had interrupted their moment. Releasing his arm, she spun around to grab the head of the bed, and began to bang it softly against the wall. Her moans started low and then increased as she began to increase her tempo and force with the bed.

“Oh Ben, you are the wind beneath my wings!” she cried out, thus fulfilling Clause 5 Subpart C.

She could hear banging and muttering in the next room; it seemed that her plan to annoy the living heck out of their neighbour was working. She turned to look at Ben, and the incredulous look on his face caused her to erupt with peals of laughter. To her delight he joined her, and then knelt on the bed bouncing up and down, making the springs creak - which in turn set her off again.

“Oh Rey, you feel so good!” he yelled.

“Ben… shhhhh,” she said through a burst of giggles. “This is for Hux’s benefit, not the entire hotels!”

“Oh shit, sorry,” he said sheepishly, coming to a halt. “I forgot you work here.”

“Just try to…” she paused for a second, putting a finger to her lips. “Listen, can you hear that?”

“Hear what?” he replied.

She was sure she could make out the faint sound of running water in the next room.

“He’s having a shower,” she said gleefully.

“And?” Ben was perplexed as to what that had to do with anything. “I prefer not to think about that man naked - or otherwise.”

“No, you don’t.. Let me show you.”

She jumped up and ran into the bathroom and flushed the toilet, then poked her head back into the bedroom.

“Wait for it…” 

She was cut off by an almighty howl from the bathroom next door as Hux was blasted with icy cold water. She collapsed onto the bed in a fit of giggles, and Ben followed suit.

She liked making him laugh like that.

“Masterful,” he said with a huge grin. “But I really didn’t care for the way he spoke about you. Want me to go next door and teach him a lesson?” His face was suddenly serious. He meant it.

“No, no,” she said quickly. “No need for that. I can take care of myself.”

He grinned and nodded. “Yes, I can see that. You take care of yourself remarkably well.”

She blushed with pleasure.

They could then hear the sound of Hux grumpily banging around in his room, and she giggled softly again. But there was a new problem - Ben was still in the middle of the bed and she couldn’t very well just go and sit next to him. That would be way too forward, and give the impression that she wanted him. She was also aware that if it had not been for their neighbour’s interjection, that there was a distinct possibility that she may have been relieved of her dress by this time and actually writhing underneath him. Although perhaps she had imagined that moment between them?

“Do you still want me to stay?” she asked softly, so it couldn’t be heard outside the room.

He nodded, “Please, just a little while longer. Until I am confident he is asleep. Then I will drive you home.”

He scooted off the bed to make room for her, and sat back in his original position in the chair opposite. She carefully lowered herself back down, then resumed eating the Oreos - she was still hungry, and in all the excitement now she was almost ravenous.

“Can I have all of these?” she asked in between bites.

He smiled. “Be my guest.”

They sat in silence, other than for the sound of her munching on the cookies. She took care not to leave crumbs on the bed, lest it made him uncomfortable. He opened the Doritos - she supposed that he had skipped dinner as well. He offered her the packet, but she refused. It felt weirdly intimate. The whole thing was weird when she thought about it.

The crashing noises from next door had finished, and now it seemed Hux was on the telephone, as she could hear a one-ended conversation coming from the next room. She sighed; she hoped he wouldn’t be long. It was getting late, and it had been a very hectic evening. It was all catching up with her.

“Do you mind if I just rest for a moment, while we’re waiting?” she asked, accompanied by a yawn.

“Please, can I get you anything? Another pillow? A blanket?”

It struck her as rather endearing that he would want to take care of her in the place where hospitality was her responsibility.

“No, don’t go to any trouble. I am sure he won’t be long,” she replied. 

She lay back on the bed, and part of her willed him to come to her. To lay next to her, stroke her face and kiss her. To really make her moan, not just to annoy Hux or to prove they were in a relationship. But, she did not have the power of telepathy, and he remained rooted to the chair. She closed her eyes just for a moment. She had no intention of falling asleep.

Hux could still be heard.

“He sure can talk,” she said sleepily.

“Yup,” he replied. “The man is so full of hot air and bluster I should call him the GoodYear Blimp.”

She laughed softly, she could feel herself drifting away. The bed was so comfortable and soft, and the robe so comforting. Like she was wrapped up in his arms. She was surprised at just how relaxed she was.

The hotel definitely deserved its five star Trip Advisor rating, she thought to herself before falling asleep.

She dreamt of contracts, kissing, and being given a two star Fake Girlfriend Advisor rating on the internet. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Naughty Hux! How dare!
> 
> Told you he was a jerk.
> 
> Loving all the lovely comments from lovely readers


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Where does this alley go?” Ben asked, puffing from exertion as he ran.
> 
> “It’s a dead end just around the corner,” she replied between gasps.
> 
> “Fuck! Rey, I’m sorry for what I am about to ask - but I need to kiss you. Really, really kiss you. I have to keep Hux distracted for as long as possible.”
> 
> “Okay…” she said; her head was really swimming now. He hadn’t really kissed her before? What the hell was he going to do to her now - and how would she survive it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you my most wonderful beta and fandom wife [MyJediLife](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyJediLife), are a source of strength for me and helping me to improve my work. And making it readable.
> 
> Thank you [Spacey_Gracie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacey_gracie) you keep me going and motivated even when I want to burn the whole thing down and your endless encouragement is a gift. I love the way we work together.
> 
> And dear readers, both of whom regularly ask when these two are going to bang. So they are fighting the good fight for you all.
> 
> Thank you also to [ReyloBrit](<a%20title=) for my wonderful new mood board. I LOVE IT.

It took Rey several moments to work out where she was. It was familiar - but not. She felt warm and cosy, but she knew the bed was not her own. Opening her eyes and looking down, she could see that Ben had tucked her in with blankets at some stage in the night. 

_Ben!_

She sat up and looked at the vacant spot next to her. It was a heady mix of relief and disappointment as she realised she was alone in the bed. Her eyes locked onto his hulking form, sitting in the same tub chair opposite the bed. He was far too big for it to be comfortable; his head had rolled back at an awkward angle, and she could hear the gentle rumbling of his throat as he snored softly.

It felt very intimate to be here with him like that - even though they had not so much as touched each other once they were alone in his room.

She couldn’t help but giggle when he let out a particularly loud snort.

She glanced at the clock on the night stand - and with a sense of dread realised she was due to start her shift downstairs in fifteen minutes. There was no time to go home and change. She knew it was going to raise eyebrows, especially with Maz. The green dress was far from her usual work attire.

Ten minutes later - and a rudimentary toothbrush with her finger and a dob of Ben’s toothpaste - she slunk into the kitchen, avoiding looking directly at Maz. Ben was evidently a heavy sleeper, and she had managed not to disturb him.

She felt terrible about what she was about to do, and she hoped in time that Maz would understand why she had to lie to her. But after the display at the pub the night before, she knew it was only a matter of time before the news reached the hotel, and she wanted Maz to hear it from her.

“Maz,” she mumbled, “there is something I need to tell you.”

Maz put down the knife she was using to chop onions and looked at her quizzically.

“You’ve decided to implement a new dress code?”

Rey laughed nervously. “Ha ha, no…. The man yesterday, who liked the bacon - the guest in room ten.”

“Yes?”

“Well, he is my boyfriend. We met on the internet a few weeks ago and we decided to get together face to face.”

Maz smoothed her hair from her forehead and furrowed her brow. 

“I don’t understand,” she said. “Yesterday it seemed like you didn’t know each other? Plus, didn’t he check in before you returned from London? But then I did sense… something between you.”

Rey cleared her throat awkwardly. She was expecting this line of questioning, but it still hurt her heart to follow through with the planned deception.

She spoke quickly, as if to lessen the lie.

“Yes, I asked him to act as if we didn’t know each other. I was worried that you would think it was strange that he came to see me. But, it turns out that he is really nice, and we hit it off right away.”

There was silence as Maz digested her words, and Rey could tell that she was not convinced.

“I thought he was here on business?” Maz squinted her eyes in the way she did when a person tried to pull a fast one over on her - which never worked. Maz was too perceptive for her own good.

“Oh, he is still working while he is here, when I am not available. But he is mainly here to see me,” Rey replied lightly.

How she wanted that to be true. It was a stupid wish, because what did she know about him, really? He was dedicated to his job, seemed to like practical jokes, and was smart and driven. He seemed to care about her comfort, and she also melted every time he glanced at her with a soft, kind look on his face. He made her laugh, and when he wasn’t being a git he seemed to bring out a side of her she didn’t know existed - but that she liked a lot. He was the most amazing kisser, and she was immediately lost in an unexpected passion the moment their lips met. 

He had also turned her world upside down in a matter of days and that part was overwhelming.

“What about Poe?”

“Maz, that was six months ago, I have moved on.”

‘Rey, just Poe… he hurt you really bad. I was there, I held you as you cried. Please, don’t rush into anything serious too soon. What happens when Ben returns to New York? Has he told you that he intends to stay here?”

Rey felt as if she had taken a blow to the stomach.

“No,” she said quietly. Once his job was finished, he would be on the first plane back, and she would never see him again. All she would have to show for it was functioning hotel plumbing, and a clear conscience that she had done right by Maz. Which, of course, was nothing to sneeze at.

Maz remained silent as she watched Rey’s face fall.

Rey knew she had to keep the temporary nature of his visit at the forefront of her mind. Just because there seemed to be some attraction between them, that didn’t mean anything. Last night they’d shared quite a few laughs, and she had enjoyed being engaged in whatever caper they were involved with. He had been very sweet, and an absolute gentleman when she was in his room.

But these were not the bonds that a man like Ben would choose to move continents for. The only reason they spent any time together at all was because she was contractually obliged to. With a heavy heart, she donned her apron and began her work day - intent on pushing all thoughts of Ben Solo and the evening they had shared out of her mind.

__________

Of course, Ben was right there at his table when she entered the dining area, and it was like the breath had been sucked from her. He looked similarly dumbstruck, like it was some kind of awkward morning after, which - in fact it was -rather than two lovestruck idiots still basking after a night of pleasure. 

She couldn’t bring herself to enact Clause 5 Subpart A that morning, it was too much. It seemed that Ben felt the same because he didn’t rise to kiss her, either. Was he worried that she was mooning over him and threatening the deal? To her relief she saw that Mr. Hux had not yet come down for breakfast; she would have to put on her game face if she was going to earn that twenty thousand pounds. She smiled thinly and decided she would attend to Mr. Canady first.

The old fart let out a loud harumph as soon as he saw her attire. She saw his disapproving look, but fortunately he made no comment. The moment his back was to her Rey couldn’t resist poking out her tongue. Ben spluttered his tea, spilling it on the tablecloth as he clearly found the exchange amusing. She smiled back at him, and felt the awkwardness leave her a little. She fetched a cloth to mop up the mess.

He took the cloth from her, insisting on cleaning it himself. 

“Are you okay with last night?” he asked in a low voice. “I said I would take you home, and I tried to rouse you, but you sleep the sleep of the dead.”

“It was fine, really,” she said, blushing.

He continued to blot at the same spot, although it looked to Rey like it was as mopped up as well as it could be. 

“I would like to take a walk into town this morning. What time do you finish?”

“Three pm, but I will need to get changed - so perhaps four? Wait - I need to get my coat from the pub, it will be chilly out.”

“I will grab your coat this morning. Meet me in the lobby?”

“Yes.” She smiled.

___________

Rey sighed as she breathed in the crisp sea air. The rolling green hills that framed the sky were like a postcard, that eventually gave way to the pebbled beach. In the summer, the town thronged with tourists eager to snap postcard pictures of quaint seaside village life, but Rey lived for quieter winter months. Walking hand in hand with Ben was entirely romantic; his skin was soft, warm and comforting. She was terrified that she would get clammy hands, because she was just so bloody nervous. 

She soon realized Mr. Hux was trailing them several metres behind. Not so close that he could hear their conversation, but close enough that he could read their body language.

“Smile,” Ben said under his breath. “This should be a pleasant undertaking, but you look like you are being walked to the gallows.”

Rey snorted, and plastered on a broad grin. “Is this more to your liking?” she quipped through her teeth.

Ben raised an eyebrow, but evidently decided not to push the matter. “Quiet around here, don’t you think?”

“Oh well, lucky you are here just for a visit, not on a permanent arrangement,” she retorted.

He stopped to stare at her. “I didn’t mean it like…” His face suddenly turned pale as he looked behind her.

“Fuck,” he said under his breath. On instinct she went to turn around but he gripped her by the arms. “Don’t move,” he said quietly, looking around.

The clasp of his hands made her feel dizzy with need. She cursed herself that she wasn't able to hold it together in what was now apparently some kind of emergency. Without warning, he grabbed her by the hand and sped down an alleyway behind them.

“Hey!” she heard Mr. Hux cry out as he began to give chase.

“Where does this alley go?” Ben asked, puffing from exertion as he ran.

“It’s a dead end just around the corner,” she replied between gasps.

“Fuck! Rey, I’m sorry for what I am about to ask - but I need to kiss you. Really, really kiss you. I have to keep Hux distracted for as long as possible.”

“Okay…” she said; her head was really swimming now. He hadn’t really kissed her before? What the hell was he going to do to her now - and how would she survive it?

They came to the dead end of the alley. Hux’s echoing footsteps could be heard getting closer.

Ben stopped and then backed her up to the wall, pressing his body against her. Grabbing her knee, he lifted it to hook it around his hip, bringing them into closer contact. He growled against her neck as he began nuzzling and nipping at her skin. Her legs buckled beneath her as she whimpered. She was flooded with desire, and it pulsed within her. She wanted to claw at his clothing, touch him, stroke him, caress him. She wanted to know all of him - even in a deserted alley off the main street.

He lifted his face to look at her, softly brushing her hair from her face.

“Please kiss me Ben,” she whispered. His eyes darted over her face, then he closed in to claim her lips with his. Her hands involuntarily threaded around his neck, helping her to rise up on her toes to get closer to him. As he kissed her, he lifted her off her feet - anchoring her to the wall.

The brick was cold and damp against her back, penetrating her coat - but Ben was warm against her chest. It was mind blowing how much heat was radiating from him. She hooked her leg around him a little more, groaning as he continued to taste her, his tongue softly probing her mouth. Unable to resist, she reached up and gave his hair a little tug, causing him to growl and nip at her bottom lip in response. She felt him up against her thigh, causing a rush of desire that made her want to grind against him.

She just barely registered Mr. Hux complaining in the background at their shenanigans, but she paid him no mind. This was what she wanted, what she needed. What had remained unspoken the night before had been answered - and it was beyond anything in her experience.

This didn’t feel like a clause from a contract - none of their kisses had. 

Mr. Hux’s footsteps could be heard echoing back down the alley, along with his muttered displeasure. As Ben broke their kiss she wanted to beg for more, to ask him to take her back to his room so they could pleasure each other.

But she held her tongue - Clause G meant they needed to get official permission first, otherwise they would be breaking the contract and she might be risking the loss of her payment. Ben buried his face in her neck, breathing heavily. Then, with what could only be described as a regretful groan, he lowered her back to the ground and set her back on both feet. 

She noticed the cold begin to bite through her coat again at the loss of contact.

He shoved his hands deep into his pocket. “Er, thank you for allowing me to do that.”

“No problem,” she replied, desperately trying to catch her breath. “But why the need to run away? What did you see?”

He ran a thick hand through his hair, shaking his head.

“It was a really close call, Rey; we need to call a meeting with Connix and Rose - and I will explain everything.”

_____________

“Connix, can you hear us okay?”

Ben had set his laptop up on his dashboard so that Connix could join them in their meeting. She and Rose sat awkwardly in the back seat; Rose, in particular, was bemused to have been called to an emergency meeting. 

Rey noticed a black velvet box on the dash next to the laptop. Could that have something to do with what he was about to share?

“Sure can, Solo.” Connix yawned. Rey had initially wondered if there was something more between the two; now that Connix could be seen on Skype, Rey saw that she certainly was pretty, but she had come to the conclusion that there was more of a sibling vibe than anything. She had to admit to being envious of the candor they had with each other. She would give anything not to be so self conscious around him.

“Right,” he said, turning to Rose and Rey. “I shouldn’t need to remind the both of you that you are bound by a confidentiality clause, and that Resistance Recovery Solutions has a crack team of lawyers that issue writs like Rey issues fresh towels. I had wanted to avoid sharing the details of my purpose here, but unfortunately the fake relationship ruse is not having the desired effect, and it is only a matter of time before Hux stumbles onto the truth.”

Rey couldn’t help but scowl. Why did he always remind her of their contract?

He picked up the velvet box in his large hands, opening it before turning it around so they could see the contents. 

“Whoa…” Rose gasped, while Rey’s eyes nearly fell out of her head.

It was the loveliest necklace Rey had even seen, the largest round cut diamond at its centre, with each one next to it coming slightly smaller around to the back. She would never have thought she’d ever see such a magnificent piece up close.

“The Ashtani necklace consists of fifty-two diamonds, coming in at 104.85 carats. Each gem is unrivaled in clarity and cut. It is insured for over $8 million dollars,” he said, his fingers lightly trailing across each jewel. Rey imagined her neck and throat being in place of the jewelry, and she felt a shiver rush through her.

“But, this is not the Ashtani necklace,” he said, and Rey furrowed her brow. “This is one of two replicas issued by my client. We believe the original is currently located somewhere in Finley Manor, in the possession of one Lady Xanthe Isllington-Smythe. Who, I saw in a town car this afternoon while taking a stroll with Rey.”

Rose groaned at the name of her nemesis, as Connix took over from Ben. That explained Ben’s antics earlier - it wasn’t because he really, _really_ wanted to kiss her. It was because he really, _really_ wanted to avoid Lady Snotface.

“The client loaned the necklace to Lady Isllington-Smythe to attend a charity event last month, but she failed to return it. Their continued attempts to contact her have been met with silence. It is clear that she has every intention of keeping it.”

“So why not call the police? I mean, theft is theft, right?” Rey asked, she was confused as to why Resistance Recovery Solutions needed to be engaged at all.

Rose snorted and rolled her eyes. “Let me guess, your client is very sensitive to any type of scandal. All Lady Snotface would need to do was call up her very powerful and connected aunt. Cut to the client’s name dragged through the mud.” She turned to Rey. “Remember when she skipped out on paying the bill at a restaurant, and when the owner complained, her aunt ran the establishment into the ground?”

“Yes,” Ben nodded. “We also have reason to believe that she might either try to hide or destroy the necklace rather than to give it back. This piece is very important to the client - it’s irreplaceable. So, they have engaged our services to replace the real item with a fake so she is none the wiser. Eventually, If she does catch wind of the substitution, she will have no way of knowing when it occurred and who is responsible.”

“Thus avoiding scandal,” Rose agreed, nodding furiously. 

Rey couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Rose, you don’t think that this is...wrong? Stealing something already stolen?”

“Rey,” Rose sighed heavily. “Normally yes, but you know the rules don’t apply to people like her. I have seen her in action, she will stop at nothing. A special problem requires a special solution.”

Rey blinked as she digested her friend’s words, then another thought occurred to her.

“You said there were two necklaces…. Hux has the other one, doesn’t he?” she said.

Ben smiled a little before nodding. “Correct. The client has been left dissatisfied with the performance of First Order Solutions for some time, so they have engaged both companies. If we are able to deliver the necklace back to the client, we will be put on a very lucrative retainer, as well as have access to their network. This could establish Resistance in the UK market. So - it’s more than just a job, it’s the future of the business.”

“Plus, Hux is an asshole,” Connix chimed in.

“Plus, Hux is an asshole,” Ben chortled. It made Rey’s stomach do flip flops.

“Don’t worry about the money,” Rose replied. “The opportunity to give Lady Snotface what she deserves is payment enough for me. Just don’t do anything to harm Lord and Lady Finley; I don’t want them to be dragged through anything nasty.”

“I give you my word,” Ben said. “We are professionals. Lady Snot.. Isslington-Smythe is the target, and we always take measures to avoid collateral damage.”

Rose seemed pleased with his response.

 _Shit, we are actually doing this_ , Rey thought.

“So, can I take it that you’re in? Rey and I will need invitations to the party this weekend. I will also need information on where at the Manor she is staying, and anything else you can tell me about her movements.”

“Why do I need to go?” Rey asked. The idea of attending the party made her want to be ill, for she had no experience with such things. She knew how to dance, of course, she and Poe had taken lessons together, but what on earth would she do with herself while he was skulking around on his mission?

“Do you think you will be recognised?” Ben asked, his brow furrowed.

“No,” said Rey reluctantly, while trying to think of a reason not to go. “I’m nobody, so no one will recognise me. But also, I don’t have anything to wear.” She felt a flush of embarrassment having to admit that she was not “gala ready” at a moment’s notice.

“Rey might have a point,” said Connix, with a sly look on her face. “I mean, is there any reason to continue the charade at all, if we don’t think that Hux has been fooled?”

“Yes!” Ben and Rey said in unison.

Ben glared at Connix at the same time that Rey fell silent, her embarrassment deepening. 

“There is no need to be hasty,” he clipped. “Rey still has legs, I mean, the relationship still has…. I think we should still continue with our current plan.”

The silence following his statement was deafening, broken several moments later by a gasp from Rose and a soft “fuck” from Connix. Rey blinked at Ben, but his attention had shifted out the window and remained there.

“I will give you the money for a dress,” he muttered.

“Okay…” said Rey. Her head was spinning, what the hell just happened? His reaction was strange to say the least, and it wasn’t just her stupid heart playing tricks on her. Clearly Connix and Rose had sensed something too, going by their reactions.

Ben’s phone began to ring against the dashboard, and he quickly checked the caller ID.

“Connix, it’s the head office, so I need to take this. Can you take them through the rest of the details?”

“Sure thing, Ben,” Connix replied slowly.

Once Ben had left the car, Connix continued with information about the mission and the role each of them was to play. Rey felt beads of sweat form across her brow at the thought of what they were about to do. What if she couldn’t do it; what if she failed? 

Rose nudged her out of her reverie.

“Rey, Connix is talking to you.”

“Huh… what?”

Connix had a very serious and somewhat frustrated look on her face. What had she done now?

“Rey, we need to talk about something, but don’t you breathe a word of what I am about to say to Ben. You know this is a business deal, right? It’s really important that it stays like that. Ben is my colleague, but also my friend. We can’t have the mission complicated by feelings and people getting hurt.”

Rey was humiliated. Was it so obvious that she had a crush - because that’s all it was - on him? 

Rose’s reaction was more animated, and she responded to Connix with indignation. 

“Well, Ben better not hurt Rey. She is still getting over her bastard of an ex-fiancé. If he hurts her, then I will hunt him down, and I will kill him. Maz knows people who will do _bad bad_ things, okay?”

Connix screwed up her face in confusion.

“What the crap are you talking about? I’m talking about Rey hurting Ben!”

“How would Rey hurt…. Oh.”

Rey wanted to sink into the floor of the car, yet at the same time there was a thread of excitement beginning to unfurl within her. Connix was worried that she would hurt Ben. Did that mean that Ben liked her? She shook her head in disbelief. There was no way a man like that would like someone as non descript and mousy as her.

_Right?_

She could hear Connix tapping her fingers nervously against the keyboard.

“Please, just keep it professional. Ben needs this mission to go well, and he can’t be distracted.”

Rey stared at the floor, remembering the kiss from earlier that day, and the day before, and the day before that.

“I promise,” she said softly. But she knew it was a promise she would struggle to keep, no matter what the cost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wot? There is going to be a party? Ben Solo in a tux? Rey in a slinky gown? Dancing? Nope, just another boring chapter coming up soon.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“There’s no one around, you don’t have to kiss me,” she said shyly. “We don’t need to pretend.”_
> 
> _He reached up to stroke her face._
> 
> _“That’s the problem, it’s never really pretend, is it?” ___

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to MyJediLife, Spacey_Gracie and ReyloBrit for all the beta/alpha help and support. You guys are the best.

“Relax, Rey. You look lovely.”

She removed the tip of her thumb from her mouth - chewing her nails had always been a dreadful habit she had never been able to kick. Rey wanted to return the compliment; when he had arrived at her doorstep she felt as if hit by a tonne of bricks. No man should look so dashing in a tuxedo. But the words were trapped in her throat - she was terrified that if she shared them, he would be able to peer into her soul and see the effect he had on her.

Their moment in the alley was all she had been able to think about. It was burned in her memory; the softness of his lips, the warmth of his chest, and the way he had nuzzled her neck before she had begged him to kiss her. She blushed just thinking about it. Now, in the close proximity of the car, she felt the electricity crackle in her veins. She remembered what Connix had said to her, that nothing could get in the way of the mission. She knew she really ought to push her, well... lustful... thoughts from her mind, but she was finding it easier said than done. She had never found a man so attractive, and it seemed to remove all capacity for rational thought.

She looked down at her dress, smoothing it over her legs to remove unseen creases. Rose had approved it, of course, squealing with delight as the sales assistant revealed the gown to them. It was white silk, with gold braiding across the bodice that accentuated her narrow waist and small high breasts. Rey supposed she was grateful that Rose had also insisted that she go to the hairdressers for an up-do as well, choosing a style that had loose curls pinned to her crown, exposing the graceful line of her neck.

The look on Ben’s face when he saw her was all the confirmation she had needed to know she looked beautiful. For tonight, in any case.

“So, what is the plan again?” she asked nervously.

“Rose has given me a map of the house, and of the bedroom where Lady Snotface is staying.”

Rey couldn’t help but giggle that he was using their favoured moniker for such an awful woman. Ben continued.

“While you keep a lookout, I’ll make the exchange. Then we get the hell out of there, and I take the jewels back to the client in London.”

Rey swallowed her fear - she was terrified of making a mistake and blowing the mission. She didn’t know which would be worse, losing the £20,000 or losing his respect. If, indeed, she had earned either of those.

The crunch of the driveway under tyres broke her from her reverie. Her eyes darted up the hill to Finley Manor, which was ablaze with light to welcome the party guests. Rey knew that Rose would have done an amazing job with the preparations, as Finley Manor parties were the stuff of legends. Rey had never thought for one moment that she would be attending as a guest, and on the arm of such, well, a _man,_ as well. 

As the attendant helped her from the car, Ben walked around and slid his arm around her waist, giving a little squeeze for reassurance. She smiled at him as he led them into the great entryway, which was flanked by enormous pink rose bushes adorned with fairy lights. The sound of music and laughter drifted down to greet them. Rey grabbed the first glass of champagne that passed her, scowling at Ben’s raised eyebrow. She only intended to have one, just for a bit of courage. His hand was still warm against her waist, and the warmth from the champagne bloomed in her chest. The slight shaking that had possessed her dissipated a little.

Spotting their target over on the other side of the room, Ben led her straight to the dance floor. Rey gulped as she realised that the band was playing a slow, sultry song made for lovers, and she had no idea how she was going to prevent herself from turning into putty in his hands. She didn’t know what to do, or how to hide her feelings. At the same time, it was as if she was under his spell, powerless to resist him. 

Turning her around to face him, his hand shifted slightly to her hip as he clasped her other hand, drawing it close. At first all she could do was stare blankly at his chest as they began to sway, their hips magnetised together. His hand shifted slightly to rest at the small of her back, the almost imperceptible movement of his hand guiding her in time to the music.

He drew her in a little closer and whispered against her ear.

“You have that look again - like you are being led to the gallows. Is this really so horrible?” His voice was soft, but at the same time she detected an undercurrent of sadness.

Summoning her courage, she lifted her eyes to meet his, only able to shake her head in response. This was far from a death sentence - instead she had never felt more alive or more scared. But it was a different kind of fear, as if she was standing at the edge of a cliff and below lay a beautiful ocean, warm and waiting for her. She just needed the confidence to leap.

He smiled down at her, and she couldn’t help but return it shyly.

“That’s better,” he said softly. “I want to get closer to the target. I need to be sure she is not wearing the necklace.”

She nodded, and he smoothly dropped his hand from her back to slowly spin her away from him. Then, stepping back with a twist of his arm, he brought her close to him again. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from his face; the other guests fell away as if the band was playing just for them. He brought her in much closer this time, and shock registered on her face as she felt something hard poke against her hip. She knew from the warmth in her cheeks that she was blushing furiously, and from the warmth deep in her belly that there was no way in hell that she would be able to hide the effect he had on her.

Confusion on his face was evident for the briefest of moments, then it was his turn to blush as he realised what she was feeling.

“It’s the necklace,” he growled. 

“Oh… I… didn’t,” Rey stammered, at a loss for words because indeed she _had_. He spun her around again, to bring them closer to Lady Isslington-Smyth. 

“You do look beautiful,” he said, in a low, quiet voice. “It’s very distracting. I really didn’t think this through.”

Rey blushed a bit harder - she was distracting him from his mission? She couldn’t recall ever being called a distraction before. Still, it stung - did he not want her here?

“I’ll go then. I’m sure Rose will need help with something.” She went to pull away, but found herself locked in his arms, still moving to the music.

“Shit, I’m not… I didn’t mean…” he muttered. He took a deep breath. “Stay.”

“Okay,” she replied, relieved but still confused. What was happening between them? Was what she was sensing real? Did he feel it too? The rhythm of his hips continued to burn a fire in her; it held the promise of what intimacy with Ben could be like, and she wanted that intimacy unlike anything before. She knew she was falling hard and fast for him, and she could only hope when the moment came that he had to leave she would survive it - and be twenty thousand pounds richer.

His eyes drifted across her shoulder as he scoured the room. Panic registered on his face.

“Fuck,” he swore softly. “Where the fuck did she go?”

Rey twisted around to look - indeed Lady Snotface had disappeared - but she did see Rose not far away, smirking at them. With a nod of her head in Rose’s direction, Ben followed her lead. As they drifted closer, he didn’t break his step for even a moment. It was as if their bodies had a mind of their own - independent of their thoughts.

“Hi you two,” Rose said in bemusement. “Mission going well?”

Rey wanted to glare, but there was no time to waste.

“Where did Snotface go?”

Her friend pulled a face.

“I saw her head down to the boathouse with some creep from Lord Finley’s polo team. She’ll be gone a while.”

She felt Ben stiffen against her.

“Was she wearing it?”

Rose shook her head, “No, she had on some ghastly turquoise thing. Also probably stolen.” She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Ben relaxed considerably. 

“Thank you, Rose, we can take it from here.” 

With one smooth movement, he broke their embrace and guided Rey through the large patio doors that flanked one side of the ballroom. Rey didn’t miss the return of Rose’s smirk.

Holding her hand, he led them through the crowd of party goers gathered outside. Rounding a corner, she found that they were suddenly alone. Her body was still tingling from their dance, but she felt a fire truly erupt as he turned to look at her. His eyes were dark in the muted light from the windows, and the music could still be heard, although muffled by the polite murmur of the unseen crowd. His expression was unmistakable.

“There’s no one around, you don’t have to kiss me,” she said shyly. “We don’t need to pretend.” 

He reached up to stroke her face. 

“That’s the problem, it’s never really pretend, is it?”

“No, it isn’t,” she agreed.

Before she could admonish herself for revealing so much, he closed the space between them, his hand still holding her face. Encircling her in his other arm, she felt the world become small as his soft lips met hers. A small whimper escaped her throat as her arms threaded around his neck, he was so tall she had to stand on her tiptoes. He responded by scooping her up in his arms, her feet left dangling as their kiss intensified. There was a franticness to it this time, as if there was nothing left to hold back, that all they needed to do was go with the feeling. There was no need to pretend to pretend.

He began to nip and tug at her lower lip as his hands gripped her backside. He growled deep in his throat, and she shivered in delight. This was what she wanted, whether it was a good idea or not. Caution and warnings be damned.

Passion swirled within her, and small moans began to escape her lips. He walked them over to the nearby ivy-covered wall, pressing her against it as she encircled her legs around his hips. She opened her mouth wider as his tongue began to probe and explore, and she had the overwhelming urge to grind against him. It was dangerous, thrilling and terrifying all at once, and all she could do was fall into it.

He squeezed her tighter, and she threaded her hands in his hair; she was about to give it a tug like the one he had seemed to enjoy so much in the alley, when she felt hardness against her hip again. 

_Huh? The necklace? The necklace!_

It took every single drop of resolve to pull herself away from him. She didn’t want to; oh how much she wanted to find a truly private spot to be in. Just the two of them, no contract, no Clause 5, no mission - and no jewels. Guilt stirred within her as she remembered her promise to Connix - and to Ben - that personal feelings should not get in the way of his primary purpose.

He seemed drunk as she gazed at his face; she understood that he was just as moved by their encounter as she was. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at her in confusion as he let her slide down onto her feet again, but still held her in his arms.

“The mission,” she croaked.

He blinked at her as her words sunk in, and then ruefully shook his head.

“I _really_ didn’t think this through,” he chuckled, and then his tone turned serious. “Rey, after all this is finished, can we talk? Really talk.”

“Sure,” she stammered, trying desperately to stamp out the excitement welling within her. Talking could mean anything.

He took a step backwards and then looked around. “Well, let’s get back to work. Follow me,” he held her hand as he led her around the outside of the manor. He seemed to have a clear idea of where he was going.

Stopping at what seemed to be a door to one of the many sitting rooms, Ben reached down to try the handle, swearing when he found it to be locked. Looking around, he dug into his pocket and pulled out what looked to be a small tool, which he then used to pry open the lock.

“Wait here and keep a lookout, I won’t be long. The guest room is just outside this room down the hall,” he said, opening the door. He then stared at her mouth, and she could have sworn he was going to kiss her again. He shook his head and then grinned at her. “Really, really didn’t think this through,” he muttered before disappearing inside. 

She stood waiting, shivering slightly she rubbed her arms to keep out the cold. She understood why she had to wait outside. Really, she did. At the same time, was there… disappointment that she had to play guard rather than being in there within him? Finding the diamonds, making the exchange? It surprised her, she was not usually given to adventure - in fact, visiting Finn in London was as much as she’d thought she could take. But here she was, standing outside in the cold, when she would rather be inside with him doing the wrong thing for the right reason. She thought about it a little more - even the act of breaking into the house didn’t give her much cause for concern. If she was really honest with herself, it was actually pretty hot that he knew how to do such things.

With a crash Ben opened the door, and then, using the tool, locked it again.

“It was on her dresser table,” he snorted. “Unbelievable. Let’s get going, shall we?”

She smiled and gave a small nod.

They quickly walked back through the crowd on the patio. Rey could feel the tension and excitement coursing through her - only they knew what had just transpired. She was dizzy with the thrill of success, but she knew that she had to remain cool so as to not draw attention to herself or to him. They were not out of the woods yet.

He was leading her through the dance floor when she saw Rose beckoning madly at her. She glanced at Ben and he nodded. 

“Find out what she wants, I’ll go get the car.”

She hurried over to her friend.

“What is it?” she asked in a low voice.

“He’s here,” Rose hissed.

“Who?”

“That guy, the red headed jerk. He is out skulking in the hall, I don’t know how he got in but he’s here.”

Rey felt the cold hand of fear press against her chest, but then paused to think. Was there a way to use this to her advantage? To be cunning and clever? A plan began to form in her mind. She still felt she had a score to settle with him, as well as making sure they made a clean getaway with the necklace.

“I’ll take care of this,” she said. Rose stood, mouth agape at the sudden change in her friend.

“Rey, wait. You have a bit of..” Rose called out after her, but Rey didn’t hear. She was too focused on Mr. Hux and making sure he got what he deserved.

Rey squared her shoulders as she strode out into the hallway. Indeed, Rose was correct, Mr. Hux was there, mingling with the guests in a tuxedo - but he looked nowhere near as magnetic as Ben. Rey could see his eyes dart around the room, as if he was looking for something. It dawned on her that he must be searching for Lady Isslington-Smyth, who was most likely still ensconced with the polo player.

Being careful to keep the smile from her face, she made her way over to him - keeping him in the corner of her eye, but not looking directly at him. Her plan started falling into place as he saw her, smirking as he strode over like an overconfident peacock.

“Ha,” he hissed into her ear as he sidled up to her. “Thought you could hide that she was here, did you? You can’t get one over on me, I’m the best in the business.” He snarled in smug self satisfaction.

She clasped her hand over her mouth in a show of shock. “Mr. Hux! W..w.. What are you doing here?” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Mr. Hux snorted in response, and then screwed his face up in disgust as he looked at the top of her head.

“Why is there ivy in your hair? Where have you been?” he said, plucking the offending foliage and showing it to her. 

She had to think quickly; she couldn’t very well give him the real details - that she and Ben had made out in the bushes when no one was looking. Her stomach did a flip flop as she remembered that they actually had done that not twenty minutes before. She had to find a way to explain things while throwing Hux off the trail.

“Oh… Ben… he was down at the pool house waiting for that lady wearing the necklace, and I got stuck in a bush and,” she clapped her hand over her mouth again. “I’ve said too much,” she said regretfully. She made her eyes go wide, as if afraid. “Please don’t go down to the pool house, please don’t tell Ben I told you!” She added a panic stricken edge to her voice for good measure.

She really wanted to stuff his infuriating smirk down his throat, but she resisted. Her ruse had the desired effect and he had fallen hook, line and sinker.

“Fool,” he sniggered. “Can’t wait till he knows that it was his girlfriend that ruined _everything_.”

With that he spun around and began to make his way to the ballroom and out to the patio.

“Muzzle that, you wanker,” Rey said under her breath.

Ben was waiting for her expectantly in the driver's seat, watching as the attendant opened the door for her. She couldn’t contain her grin as she buckled herself in.

“You seem…. Pleased,” he said, a smile tugging at the corner of his own mouth.

“Let’s get driving, and I will explain along the way,” she giggled.

“As the lady wishes,” he replied smoothly, putting the car in gear and driving away.

Rey tried to stifle her laughter as best she could, but the idea of Hux waiting by the empty pool house for a non existent diamond necklace was almost more than she could bear. Ben kept glancing at her, clearly amused at her mood, but just as confused as to the reason.

“Well?”

She sniggered and then cleared her throat. “Mr. Hux was at the party. That was what Rose wanted to tell me.”

Ben jerked the wheel, but quickly recovered. 

“Shit. That guy is like a sewer rat - he can turn up anywhere.”

“It seems so, doesn’t it? We had a little chat,” she said lightly.

He raised a devilish eyebrow.

“Oh really? Small talk? The stock market? Brexit?” 

“Pish posh,” she scoffed. “My tongue really got away from me, and I spilt the beans. Hux was very pleased.”

“What beans?” he growled, and she giggled again. He scowled at her, and she laughed even harder before pulling a straight face again.

“Please don’t be angry with me, but I sent him to the pool house to wait for Lady Snotface so he could get close to the jewels.” she said lightly.

“But isn’t she down at the boat…” it dawned on him what she had done. He let loose with an uproarious laugh, and it filled the car - and her heart. She knew she had pleased him with her ingenuity, and in sending his enemy on a wild goose chase while the real necklace was safely in his pocket. He was almost doubled over from amusement, and it made her feel giddy.

“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, baby, you really know how to take care of yourself.”

She blushed with pleasure; she couldn’t remember a time when she had been so happy.

“Can I see it?” she asked.

He jerked the wheel again. “Shit… that escalated - oh, you mean the necklace.”

“Ah - yes - the necklace,” she huffed. “What did you think I…” she blushed. Of course she wanted to see _that_ , but she was not so bold as to ask for a peek while he was driving.

He fished into his pocket and handed it to her. She gasped at just how heavy and warm it felt - she had never held something so expensive in her life. It was beautiful - she wondered what it would be like to wear such a thing. Her fingers traced each diamond one by one, entranced.

“I didn’t like having to wait outside. I wanted to be there with you, making the exchange.” She admitted softly.

He smiled and chuckled. “I didn’t like having you wait outside either.” He tilted his head to one side. “You know, you really have a natural talent for espionage, and with the right teacher you would make quite the Reacquisition Specialist. I could kiss you right now. Bringing you to this party really was the best idea I ever had.”

Her eyes went wide with delight.

“You think so?”

“I do.”

It had never occurred to her that she could do anything more exciting than fetch Mr. Canady his kippers and turn down the beds. The rest of his statement sunk in.

“Well, you can kiss me. If you want to,” she said, emboldened by his words. She couldn’t help but bite her lip at the thought. She very much wanted him to kiss her - and much, much more than that.

“I will,” he replied, his voice cracking slightly.

_Shit - he was going to kiss her again._

The rest of the journey to her home was silent as Rey sat in her dilemma. Should she invite him in? She very much wanted to. Would he agree? Would it be a breach of their contract? If they just didn’t tell anyone - where was the harm?

This train of thought was alien to her. It was as if she was throwing all caution to the wind and going with what her heart told her to, rather than her head. She gulped as they pulled into her driveway. They silently undid their seat belts, and she sat expectantly. She wanted to invite him in, _really_ invite him in, but she couldn’t find the words.

The creak of the leather seat was the first indication that he was moving towards her, and she glanced up to see his face only inches from hers. He reached up and stroked her face as his eyes searched hers, as if drinking in every bit of her, while removing the necklace with the other hand and returning it to his pocket.

“This has been, without a doubt, the most perplexing, difficult and exhilarating mission I have ever executed. And it all comes down to that contract and my agreement with you. That fucking agreement that had seemed like such a clever idea to keep my attraction to you neat and contained while still decieving Hux. But it’s hopeless, Rey. Completely hopeless.” He cupped her face. “You are amazing, absolutely fucking amazing, and it’s almost impossible to think about anything else but kissing you whenever you are near me - and then even when you’re not.”

If she was unable to speak before, words were even more impossible after his confession. He felt the same as she did after all; he thought that _she_ was amazing and resented that the contract had brought them so close together, but at the same time kept them so far apart. 

“So, I think, Rey, given that I am now in possession of the Ashanti necklace and Hux is hopefully still sitting alone by the pool in vain, that we no longer need to be bound to it. What do you say?”

Her stomach twisted in excitement - just to be able to do what felt natural and right, and not having to wonder whether she was reading more into the situation than was warranted. He felt the same way, too.

“Ben, nothing would make me happier than to forget that stupid contract,” she said, sighing a big breath of relief. “Actually,” she said slowly. “There is one thing that would make me happier - do you want to come in?” It seemed the words were there within her the whole time.

Ben grinned and gave a little smirk.

“Rey, I would love to - very, very much.”

She didn’t wait for him to come around to open the door, she wanted him inside her house and inside her bedroom - inside her - as soon as humanly possible. Fumbling with the door key, she felt him press against her. She leant into him as he nuzzled her neck, and as soon as the door was unlocked, she found herself quickly bundled inside.

She giggled, which soon turned to a low moan as he spun her around and dug his fingers into her backside. Pressing himself to her, he began a slow trail of kisses from the base of her neck, up her throat, then finding her mouth as he gathered her in a deep, passionate kiss. She clung to him, carried away on a wave of desire that left her weak at the knees. But this time she was not surprised - she welcomed it, the chance to ride the feeling rather than try to push it away.

Not breaking their kiss for a moment, she pulled him towards the sofa. Standing was all good and well, but she wanted to be close to him, and her legs threatened to give way in any case. He chuckled as he realised what she was doing, scooping her up so her legs wrapped around his hips. His mouth was hot against hers, exploring, nipping, teasing her. But she was done with teasing, she wanted it all.

As soon as his shins hit the sofa he carefully lowered them down, resting his body between her legs. She groaned and began grinding against him, desperate for more friction. The tension between her thighs was almost unbearable, and when he began canting his own hips, she gasped as she felt something hard press against her for the third time that evening.

“Just so you know, that isn’t the fucking necklace,” he growled. She looked up at him, her eyes wide in wonder. Ben Solo was not just gifted in espionage, breaking into mansions and retrieving stolen jewelry from people that really should know better - he was absolutely gifted in the pants department as well.

“Wow,” was the only response she could muster.

“Wow yourself,” he muttered as he nuzzled the crook of her neck. He rocked against her and she felt the the tension inside her increase; it was unlike anything she had experienced before. It was like electricity was running under her skin; she felt full of energy, as if she would burst. It was too much, but not enough at the same time.

His hands shifted from her waist, her breath catching as he pushed down her bodice to expose her breasts. He rolled his lips and eyed her chest hungrily, before leaning in to capture a peaked nipple in his mouth. She arched her body as he played with her, his teeth nipping and pulling, his hand teasing and pinching at the other. She ached for him between her legs - the desire pushing her to writhe beneath him, desperate for more. Suddenly, she felt a vibration on her inner thigh, taking her by surprise. It certainly added another dimension to what they were doing, but at the same time she was disappointed when she realised it was just his phone.

He broke away from her breast, cursing as he reached for his phone.

“Let me turn it off… fuck, it’s Connix. I have to take this. Don’t you dare move an inch,” he said with a growl that was matched with a grin.

Pinned beneath him, with his hardness pressed against her sex, she had no intention of going anywhere.

“What, I’m tied up right now… yes I have it….. Shit, they are? I don’t know, maybe three hours… Right now? Fuck. _Fine_ .” He took a deep breath and ended the call. “I’m supposed to be driving to London. I should be driving to London. I _have_ to drive to London.” His eyes lifted to meet hers. “I really, really don’t want to go to London,” he groaned.

She couldn’t help but pout. She was beside herself with need, and it took a superhuman effort to not try to convince him to stay. She collapsed back into the sofa, sighing in frustration. Ben remained silent but unmoving, so she lifted her head to look at him. He was gazing at her breasts with a wolfish grin, then wrapped his mouth around a peaked nipple again. It was a delicious blend of pleasure and pain as he roughly sucked and pulled with his mouth, causing her to let loose with a long, low moan. She dug her hands into his hair to press herself closer to him. She knew she should send him on his way to London - twenty thousand pounds was at risk - but at the same time, she was in this moment with him, and she was lost to it.

He began to snake his way down her body, rucking her dress up to expose her long, slender legs.

“As much as it’s going to kill me to drive three hours to London with this problem in my pants, if I make love you now I will never leave, and if I come I’ll be so wrecked that I will not be fit to drive. But I can’t leave you like this, so I want to pleasure you - something to remember me by. So that you don’t forget me while I’m away.”

She sucked in a deep breath, knowing exactly what he wanted to do to her.

“I… I want you to, but… you don’t have to.” She trembled as she spoke, overwhelmed at the idea of where he intended to put his mouth.

He chuckled as he pushed her dress up to expose her white silk panties; she was awfully pleased that Rose had taken care of every detail of her outfit, including her underwear. He nuzzled at the soft material. 

“Oh,” he said as he continued to make small circles with his nose, staring up at her from between her legs. “This isn’t for you - it’s for me.”

She shuddered with pleasure at his words and his touch, arching her back as he began to lightly suck at the crotch of her panties. She threw her head back and began to grind, whimpering with pleasure. He removed her panties from his mouth, and she almost cried out in frustration.

“Usually I would take my time, but I have an important client waiting. Do you mind if I just go for it?” he asked.

“Jesus Christ,” she grunted. “Please, Ben.”

He needed no further invitation, removing her panties and tossing them aside in one smooth flourish. She was bare before him, and the look on his face was as if he had been presented with a thousand Ashanti necklaces.

“You are beautiful,” he said, staring between her legs. The tension was coiled so tightly in her that she thought she might burst. But it was nothing to the sensation she felt when his lips were on her, sucking her into his mouth. He was feasting on her like a man possessed, and she keened as a tight band of pleasure struck low in her abdomen. She had the sudden awareness that he was about to completely ruin her, that that the pretend noises she had made that night in the hotel would be nothing in comparison to this.

She fisted her hands into his hair, wrapping her legs around his head.

“Fuck!” she screamed involuntarily. She clapped her hand over her mouth in embarrassment, but he reached up and gently pulled it away. He stared up at her from between her legs, shaking his head.

Oh god, he really, really wanted to ruin her.

“I want to hear every single moan, curse and scream you make. I want the sound of your voice echoing in my ears all the way to London.” He began to lazily circle her entrance with his finger, leaving her eyes wide and her body almost paralysed with anticipation. As he gently slid a finger inside her, they both gasped. “Jesus, you’re hot, and you taste amazing,” he groaned, diving down to place his mouth on her. As he sucked, he swirled his tongue around her sensitive bud, his finger beginning a slow rhythmic pace before he added a second one. 

She felt possessed; he was completely in charge of every sensation in her body. When he crooked his finger and stroked the most sensitive part of her, she sucked in her breath and grunted. As he quickened his pace, she began to hurl obscenities she was not even aware that she knew, her breath coming faster and faster. The tension in her belly was building, like a tidal wave of pleasure hitting a wall deep inside of her. She was unable to control her movements and sounds, bucking and moaning against him. It was positively filthy, the noises he was able to elicit from her, and it only encouraged him to suck her harder, to thrust his fingers faster.

“Ben, oh god!” she yelled as the first wave hit. She knew she wasn’t far from completion, and she was shaking from the intensity of it. It felt so good to have him touch her like this, to not just end things with a kiss, but to take care of her need for him. Her need to be touched, held and cared for. To be worshipped.

He groaned, sending delicious vibrations running through her body. 

“Yes. Shit!” she yelled, jerking beneath him. “Like that.”

He shifted his arm to rest across her abdomen, holding her in place right before another wave of intense pleasure hit her, causing her to cry out. He did not break for a moment, and she gripped his hair tighter and tighter the closer she came to completion. A high pitched squeal began to unfurl from within her; she knew her climax was imminent, and all she could do was hold onto him to ride it out.

It was sweet agony as she hit her peak just before she was about to crash. He continued to pin her down as she came, relentless as he sucked, licked and thrust into her. She was consumed by it, wave after wave of release hitting her. It ran through her entire body, all the way down to her toes, and out through her fingertips. She felt frozen, curled up around him as she screamed like she never had before.

Her scream gave way to small whimpers as the intensity of it all ebbed away, leaving only a feeling of complete peace and contentment. He crawled up her body, cradling her as her whimpers softened and her breathing returned to normal. He set her dress right again, and she could feel him watching her as she began to regain her senses.

She could barely move; he had indeed ruined her, and she had no idea how she was going to make it from the sofa to the comfort of her bed. She also knew Ben had to go, and as much as it tore her up inside, she felt as though the moment they had just shared was truly special. No matter what happened, how hard her heart broke when he went back to America, she would still have this memory to keep her.

“Are you okay?” he asked with a soft laugh.

“No,” she grunted. “Yes.”

He softly kissed her on the lips and she could taste herself; she could taste what he had done to her. 

“Let me get you cleaned up. Can I help you to bed?”

“Please, I can’t move,” she muttered.

He scooped her up in his arms, and she buried her face in his chest, inhaling his scent. Her home was small, and he easily found her bedroom. Softly lowering her onto the bed, he gently went about preparing her for the night. He changed her gown into her simple t-shirt, arranging the pillows behind her. She smiled as she watched him; he was so tender with her, that even though she knew he needed to leave, she did not feel as if he was deserting her.

“I think I have, ahhh…. _eaten_ into about as much lead time as I have to dispose of the asset. When I make a dead drop I have to go on a communication blackout, but I will be back in contact after that. I promise. Let me take you out to dinner, and we can have that talk. But I will be thinking of you every single moment,” he said softly as he gazed down at her. He gently kissed her forehead and stroked her face.

She sleepily watched him as he left, wondering how she was going to make it through the next few days without him. Her heart already ached with longing, what they had just shared was so beautiful, but not nearly enough - as ruined as she was she wanted to be close to him in every way possible. It was impossible to close the door on her feelings for him now.

In just one week this man had turned everything she knew about love, passion and about herself upside down, and she hoped that he would keep to his word and return to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All aboard the smut ship me hearties for the final chapter.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As this chapter closes, Rey is surprised, confused, delighted, ecstatic and well... sated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew - well this one took a while but I hope it was worth it. I love the little world I have built, so you might notice that I have created a series so our love birds can continue onto new and exciting adventures.
> 
> Thank you to Spacey_Gracie for putting up with me as I grumbled and wailed through writer's block. We have so much fun writing together, and 80s karaoke juke box even though we live on opposite ends of the earth.
> 
> MyJediLife, my wife, thank you for putting up with my crap and for always being my champion. And for putting in all the commas that I seem to miss (maybe it's because we are upside down in Australia and the commas always fall out?). Looking forward to brighter days ahead for us both.
> 
> ReyloBrit and Ferasha - thanks for the sprints and the feedback and the reviews! You always give straight forward concrit and I love it.
> 
> DarkCat - I hope you liked this story now that it is finished. I love the fake relationship trope and as you can see, everyone was very kind to Ben's dick.

Rey stared blankly at her phone, blinking slowly. Were her eyes deceiving her? She shook her head, trying to clear her mind and look again but what she saw remained unchanged. She quickly dialled the bank customer service number. After what had seemed an interminable time she was speaking to an agent. 

“Can I check my bank transactions please, there seems to be an error.”

“Of course Miss Niima. Your account is showing two recent transactions. One for twenty thousand pounds from Resistance Recovery Solutions, the other…. also for twenty thousand pounds from a P. Dameron.”

Rey stumbled to her sofa in shock. How had this happened? After so long with her calls and texts unanswered and her bank account bare, why had Poe done the right thing now?

She mumbled her thanks and hung up the phone.

It was surreal. Somewhere in the back of her mind it, occurred to her that she had to tell Maz that she could repay her. But this new development left her reeling. What was the reason for Poe’s change of heart?

Her phone buzzed again.

_Made the drop and tied up the loose ends. Dinner at the Finley Pub at 7?_

Her hands shook as she responded; she was overwhelmed with emotion - relief, excitement, fear and confusion all rolled in together. It was a heady mix. A part of her was afraid - afraid that he had changed his mind about her, and also afraid that he hadn’t. While the intimacy they had shared had left her feeling secure in their connection that night, in the days following doubt had begun to creep back in. She decided to play it cool.

_Sure, see you then._

___________

“Maz, there’s something I need to tell you.”

Her employer paused rolling out the pastry for the pie she was making, but didn’t turn around to face her.

“Did you break something again?” 

Rey gave a nervous laugh.

“No but… I lied to you… about my relationship with Mr. Solo.”

Maz spun around, concern and confusion etched across her wizened face. Rey knew that she needed to come clean, and quickly. 

“The relationship was fake. He paid me to …. act as his girlfriend.”

Maz narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips, it was the look reserved for hotel guests who had lost their room key or blocked the lavatory. “Well, that makes more sense than that ridiculous story you concocted. You didn’t think I would believe that hogwash, did you?”

Rey shifted uncomfortably. “I thought it was plausible,” she said in a small voice.

Maz snorted as she crossed her arms. “It wasn’t.”

Rey wasn’t sure how to respond, but it seemed Maz was not finished.

“What on earth possessed you to agree to it, and what did he exactly pay you for? Rey, I thought you were well past foolishness with men of dubious intent.”

“Hey!” Rey yelped. “That’s unfair! Ben is nothing like Poe.”

“So he didn’t pay you for..”

Rey shook her head empathically. “No, it wasn’t like that, I didn’t have to do anything beyond kissing,” she blushed, because after the necklace had been retrieved all bets were off in that department. “Not while we had to pretend. I had a contract that said we couldn’t do anything beyond hand holding and kissing. I was perfectly safe” She raised her chin in defiance, although she had to admit to herself that Ben’s kisses were _anything_ but safe. They made her lose her tiny mind.

Maz paused for a moment. “A contract?”

“Yes - a legal, ethical, binding contract. No hanky panky allowed.”

Not that it meant that hanky panky had not occured, but Maz didn’t need to know that.

“But why? What possessed you?” the other woman said incredulously.

“I did it for _you,_ Maz. He paid me enough to fix the plumbing at the hotel.”

Her statement hung in the air as the two women stared at each other.

“But Rey, if I had known I would have never..”

“I know,” Rey interjected firmly, “that’s why I didn’t tell you. But it was the only way. So now you can get the plumbing fixed in time for the summer season.”

Maz shook her head and dropped the rolling pin onto the bench with a clatter. Grunting, Maz picked up the rolling pin, and headed to the sink to scrub it clean.

"I will not accept this money.” she said furiously scouring the smooth wood. “Donate it, burn it, send it back - I don’t care.”

It was Rey’s turn to place her hands on her hips. “Well, the money is already in the hotel bank account. The plumber has been called and will be here Tuesday. There is nothing you can do about it.”

Maz stopped scrubbing and stared at the water running over her hands.

“Maz!” Rey strode over to her and gripped the woman by the shoulders. “I need to pay you back. Let me do this.”

Maz turned around, biting her bottom lip, as if to hold back her emotions.

“But I can’t accept,” she said quietly.

“Yes, you can. This is how we save the hotel and your family legacy.”

Maz grabbed for the edge of the sink to hold herself steady, covering her mouth with her other hand. Rey saw the tears welling in her dear friend’s eyes.

“I’ve been so worried,” she whispered behind her hand. “I didn’t know what I was going to do.”

Rey felt her own tears prick. 

“You don’t have to worry anymore.’ She said softly, smiling down at her employer. 

Maz choked on her emotions, tears of relief spilling down her face. Maz wrapped her arms around Rey’s waist and gave her the tightest squeeze she ever had. Rey could only respond by holding her in return.

“I will never forget what you did for me after Poe left. You saved me at great personal cost. It’s a clean slate - nothing more, nothing less.”

Gratitude and love hung between them - but there was still something Rey needed to know.

“Poe repaid the twenty thousand pounds he took. Do you know anything about it?”

Maz hiccuped, looking surprised. “Really? You’re kidding me! I don’t know anything about it. You never let me send my friends to pay him a visit, though I would have dearly loved to. Can still be arranged,” she sniffed.

The two women laughed between their sobs, which was interrupted by the sound of a very irritable Mr. Canady calling from beyond the door that led to the dining room. It seemed he wanted his tea and biscuits.

Rey dried her eyes and took a deep breath before smiling. “Let me go and see to the old fart. You continue on with your pie.”

As Rey made her way through to the dining room, she felt relieved that the conversation had gone much better than expected, and that Maz had seen reason. The hotel would be saved after all. She hadn’t had the courage to share that what was once a business arrangement was perhaps now something more. She didn’t want to speak it aloud, for fear that it would all come crashing down around her.

She still didn’t have an explanation for the money from Poe - what on earth could have convinced him to repay her?

_________________

_Rey: Bet he won’t come._

_Rose: Rey - for the twentieth time the man is into you. It’s going to be fine._

_Rey: Bet he will come and break up with me._

_Rose: Honey, if he does Maz and I will deal with him. But I have a good feeling about this, so trust my gut if you can’t trust yours._

Rey sat nervously on the the edge of the sofa, resisting the urge to chew on her nails. Her foot tapped in agitation, she would have given anything for the butterflies in her stomach to disappear. Anything but for Ben not to come at all.

_Rose: He isn’t driving all the way from London to break up with you._

Rey could see the sense in Rose’s words. At the same time, she had once thought she had found love but then it had turned so very ugly and painful. Wasn’t that all that love was? 

She saw headlights stream through her living room window and the heard sound on tyres crunching on gravel. He was here and he was early. That was a sign of something, right? She remained welded to her seat as his footsteps up to the front porch signalled that the time had come to find out what “have a talk” actually meant.

The soft tapping on her door propelled her to action, whether she was ready or not.

Rey gasped as she opened the door - the soft black sweater he was wearing clung to his broad shoulders and biceps, and she was immediately lost in his warm brown eyes as he gazed down at her. He smiled shyly, similarly at a loss for words.

“Hi,” she croaked.

“Hi yourself,” he replied. 

The moment turned suddenly awkward - should they kiss? The last time they had seen each other, kissing was just the prelude, but that was after a very exciting and romantic night. What was the protocol now?

Unable to stand it any longer, she blurted, “Let me get my coat, we can go.”

He grimaced and shifted awkwardly. “I thought we could talk here first, and then go to dinner?”

Surprised, she stood back to welcome him in. As he brushed past her she noticed his normally perfect hair was at an odd angle, like he had been fidgeting with it. Closing the door, she turned to look at him. What was he going to say? 

Ben took a deep breath. 

“Firstly, thank you for your assistance in the case. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

She shrugged and gave a little smile.

“Work was really pleased, ecstatic actually,” he continued. “The client is over the moon and has signed an exclusive five year deal. Which means that we’re opening an office here.”

“That’s great,” she said as she tried to muster enthusiasm. She was genuinely happy that it had all gone well for him but it didn’t change that he would soon go back to America and she wouldn’t see him again. One last dinner, one last talk and then whatever it was her foolish heart led her to do later.

He cleared his throat.

“Thing is, I’ve applied for - and been successful - at securing the role of Head of Operations. So it looks like I will be staying a while. A… long.. while.”

She was afraid that her ears were deceiving her. He was staying?

She felt a tendril of excitement curl inside her as she sensed what he was going to say next, then quickly quashed it - it wouldn’t do to get ahead of herself. Still, at least if he was in the same country as her there was some hope for something - wasn’t there? 

He cleared his throat again and rolled his lips, shoving his hands in his pockets. He looked at the floor, and then slowly lifted his gaze to look at her.

“Rey, I’ve done nothing but think of you since I left. Your voice didn’t just echo all the way up to London. It hasn’t stopped.” 

She blinked slowly at him, digesting his words. 

“Ben...I,” she said softly, but he didn’t hear her, his eyes had drifted to the floor again. 

“I know London isn’t exactly around the corner,” he continued, “and there will be times when I need to travel out of the country - you need to know that. But my hours are flexible, so perhaps I could visit you? Take you out to dinner?”

His words sent her heart soaring - he felt their connection too. In her wildest dreams she had never allowed herself to give over to the idea that he would stay and that he would want to continue seeing her. But now it seemed it would all come true. She was stunned that good fortune had finally come her way, and all at once. First the money for the hotel, then the money from Poe and now Ben was staying in the country and wanted her. She knew which one made her heart the happiest.

Ben raked his hand through his hair and screwed up his face.

“Rey, uh, I’m sweating bullets here.”

She shook her head to bring her back to the present moment, a broad grin spreading across her face.

“Yes! Hell yes! Please. Yes please. Hell please!” Unable to contain herself she rushed over and threw her arms around him. She pulled him close as his hands snaked around to grip her backside, giving it a cheeky squeeze. She giggled, then planted a passionate kiss on his plush mouth. He dipped her backwards, causing her to grip him more tightly.

He began walking them back to the sofa, soft growls emitting from his throat as they kissed. Her calves found the sofa, and she spun around to push him down, wasting no time straddling him. Her skirt billowed around them as she settled into his lap.

“So that’s an affirmative,” he said as he broke their kiss. 

“Do you think?” she said with a grin, followed by an immediate shyness at what she was about to say. “I’m really glad you are staying in England,” she said softly.

He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck, bringing her closer but stopping just shy of a kiss, his gaze holding hers. “I’m really glad too.”

A thought occurred to her and she pulled away slightly to get a better look at him.

“So, the money for the job was paid into my account today.”

“Oh good,” he grinned. “How did Maz take it?”

"Better than I expected, she only told me to burn it once,” Rey chuckled. “The plumber is booked for next week. It’s such a relief.”

He wrapped his arms around her a little more tightly. “You mean I won’t face the Arctic Winter that is the shower when I stay there?”

She looked at him in surprise. “No, but… I thought you might want to stay here?”

He shrugged a little sheepishly. “I didn’t want to presume.”

“Oh,” she said nodding her head, “I want you to presume. Presume away.”

“But, there’s one very important question - can you burn bacon like Maz?”

She sniffed in mock indignation. “I will have you know that I can burn bacon with the best of them.”

He gave her a kiss on the nose and then gazed at her. “I’m only teasing. Of course I want to stay - more than anything. I don’t care if you serve me gravel from the driveway in an old tin can. I just want to be with you.” he sighed heavily. “I’m really glad it worked out for Maz. She seems like a good person.”

“She is, unlike Hux.”

She was rewarded with a huge grin erupting across his face. “How could I forget! Hux! He was so pissed. Word has it he waited outside the pool house for at least two hours, then slunk off into the night with his tail between his legs. You were masterful - buying us time and humiliating him all in the same swoop.”

Her eyes narrowed as she remembered what a prat he was. “He deserved it.”

“He did - and you deserve this,” he grinned as he closed in for another soft, gentle kiss. She swooned in his arms, clinging to him tightly. She couldn’t remember being this blissfully happy in living memory. She felt the fire begin to take hold of her again, so she broke their embrace to ask a very important question.

“Should we go to dinner?” she asked tentatively. “Mrs Timmons is very particular about holding reservations. She will be awfully cross.”

“Do you want to go to dinner?” he asked, a questioning look upon his brow.

She had never felt less like dinner in her life. “I have bread and cheese in the fridge...” 

“What kind of cheese?”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “Cheese-type-cheese.”

“Sounds like a feast for a king. Snacks?”

“No snacks,” she said ruefully.

“Well,” he growled. “I’ll just have to eat you then.” He drew her close, playfully nipping at her neck. “I really want to give you a love bite right now,” he muttered against her skin.

She felt herself begin to melt into a puddle of goo - but she wasn’t about to let him take the reins so easily. She was suddenly overcome by the need to undo him just as much as he had undone her those few days before.

“I don’t think so,” she purred. “Maybe later.”

He pulled away from her neck to look up at her in confusion. “Huh?”

She began to nip and softly bite as his neck, her hands drifting down his torso as she tasted his delicious skin. A low rumble in his throat was all the encouragement she needed, as she slid down his body until her knees reached the floor; the wood was hard, so she grabbed a cushion to make herself comfortable.

Understanding lit across his face and his eyes grew wide.

“Oh... you don’t have to…”

“No, no, Ben, this is for _me_ ,” she said with a cheeky grin, looking up at him from underneath her lashes. She scraped her fingers down his thighs, the denim making a delightful scratching sound. He squirmed in his seat, tensing his strong muscles. She marvelled at how wonderfully masculine he was, and at that moment he was at her mercy.

She slowly undid the buttons on his jeans, tracing the cool metal before releasing each one. She could feel him brushing up against the back of her hand, each time eliciting a soft gasp from his parted lips. Finally reaching in to release him, as her hand wrapped around his rapidly growing hardness it was her turn to gasp. Past experience had indicated that he was not hung like an ordinary man, and now the truth of it was before her. He was magnificent. She marvelled at how velvety smooth he was against her palm. She growled with excitement and ran her hand along his length; he was swelling under her touch - it was as if he was made of iron. 

“See what you do to me. Fuck.” His eyes closed and he rolled his lips. ”Please, that feels so good. Just don’t make me….” 

The rest of his words were lost as she tightened her grip. She could see the suave and sophisticated man she was falling in love with melt away, leaving a man who was just as entranced and bewildered by their connection as she was. She throbbed with the need to feel him inside her, but she wanted to give him the same pleasure he had given her. She wanted to know that she _could_. In the days and nights since he had left she had dared to imagine what she would do to him should he come back to her; now he was here, allowing her to take the lead. She watched as his chest heaved and his breath caught in his throat.

It was all the invitation she needed. She began to softly lick and kiss him, before holding him in her hand and drawing him into her mouth. He shuddered in appreciation. Her rhythm was slow at first, then as she hollowed her cheeks and drew him deeper, he threw back his head and groaned loudly. His hands bunched in her hair and she began to suck harder. It was an animalistic desire that possessed her, which was a surprise - and a delight. She felt no hesitation or self consciousness, their connection was like a continuous feedback loop - she understood what would bring him pleasure just on instinct.

“That feels amazing,” he rasped. “Oh God, your mouth.” She was utterly ruining him, and he was glorious.

His face was filled with wonder as he gazed down at her, as if he couldn’t believe this was real. His lips were parted and his breathing coming in short pants and grunts. Her own need was becoming more and more insistent, and she couldn’t resist sliding her hand down into her panties to touch herself, to ease her tension. She groaned, causing her mouth to vibrate around him. She was slick with arousal, and as she sunk two fingers inside herself, her back arched in pleasure.

“Jesus...you’re.. fuck,” he grunted as she began to move faster and faster along his length. “Rey.. baby.. Shit. That is so fucking hot.” His body began to jerk and spasm. “I’m gonna… Rey… Fuck!”

She keened as her own peak began to build, a tingling sensation that started at her toes, and began to creep up her body. She released him from her mouth with a loud pop, replacing it with her free hand. He had asked her not to finish him, and from the sounds of it he was not far off - and neither was she.

“I’m really close,” she panted. “Do you want me to keep going?”

“Don’t… stop, _please_ ,” he groaned. His hands were so tight in her hair that it pulled just a bit; it was delicious. She could feel his tension radiating from him, and she was thrilled that she could make him feel like this.

“Okay.”

The tempo of her hand and mouth was faster this time, and she could feel him swell even more. His hips began to move of their own accord, as all manner of expletives fell from his mouth in his deep voice, along with soft terms of endearment meant just for her.

Her fingers buried inside herself as far as they could go, the tingling sensation began to fill her entire body, as if she was made of sparkling light. She had never orgasmed from her own fingers like that before. Electricity rocketed through her, and as she came all she could do was hold him, groaning and shuddering as her face rested against his thigh. Waves upon waves of pleasure washed over her until she was left as boneless as a rag doll. She had to fight the urge to curl into a ball and bask in complete contentment.

But there was still an important matter to attend to. He was red and purple with need and it made desire coil within her again thinking about what she was going to do to him. He brushed the tendrils from her face as he gazed down at her, his breath coming in little huffs. All she could do was grin back at him as she ran her closed hand up and down his shaft. She felt him begin to jerk involuntarily in her hand. 

“Rey…. your fingers,” he pleaded. “I want to taste you.”

Ben’s mouth was warm as he drew her fingers in, his tongue savouring her taste of her. Rey could sense his muscles tense and stiffen, his legs becoming taut, and his hand tightening around her wrist. 

Her lips wrapped around him again,working his length and she peered up as he gasped and moaned helplessly above her. 

“So good,” he groaned, and Rey smiled around him as she quickened her pace. She would show no mercy - he was hers.

“Fuck”, he ground out suddenly, his voice raspy and desperate. “I’m going to—“ 

With that, his entire body tensed as he began to climax. He let out an erratic cry, his hands burying themselves wildly in her hair as he lost control. She felt hot liquid hit the back of her throat, and she continued her rhythmic movements, keeping him deep in her mouth while she sucked down everything he had to give her. Rey saw his mouth open and his eyes squeeze shut; she basked in the look of pure ecstasy she saw on his face. She was smug in her achievement; she had indeed undone him as well as he had undone her. 

As his body began to relax, she heard his breathing gradually return to normal. Rey slowly lifted her mouth off of him, lazily stroking his thigh with her thumb. Ben looked a mix of wrecked and sleepy, his eyes shut and his head tipped back against the couch. 

“That was amazing,” he said drunkenly.

Tucking him back into his pants, she scaled up his body to snuggle into him, settling into his lap. With his arms wrapped around her she felt safe, secure and cared for. She knew she was, just as well as she knew the sun rose every morning and set every night.

“I was so nervous coming back,” he muttered into her hair. “I didn’t know if you had regretted what had happened between us, or if I had maybe come on too strong. I desperately wanted to contact you, but I couldn’t. I didn’t want to scare you away.”

She lifted her head to look at him.

“It’s all rather intense… Should we slow down?” she asked softly.

“Do you think we could?” he said, cocking an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth tugged into a smile.

She shook her head. “It seems silly to even try.”

His expression turned more serious.

“I’m sorry I was such a jerk in the beginning. Since the moment we met, everything has felt upside down. I was frustrated that I couldn’t think straight around you - and that it could have affected the mission.”

“If you were an arse, then I was a brat,” she admitted sheepishly. “I wasn’t ready to be so attracted to you after… well…” her voice trailed off as she wasn’t quite sure how to explain herself.

“After Dameron dumped you, took all your savings and left you with the bill for the wedding?”

She blinked at him in disbelief. “How did you…?” 

“The day we met, I overheard you mention him in the kitchen to Maz. So I did a little detective work.”

She thought hard for a moment as everything began to fall into place.

“Did you… I mean… Ben do you have anything to do with a mysterious transfer from a Mr. P. Dameron today?”

He smirked, but then replaced it with a more innocent expression. “I might have,” he said coyly.

“But how? When - what did you do to him?” Rey said, suddenly concerned. “You didn’t hurt him did you?”

“No, no - I don’t need to physically hurt people to get the result I’m looking for. Don’t get me wrong - I know how. But in situations like this I am armed only with compelling facts that the other person would prefer not be made public. Dameron sure had a lot of skeletons in his closet. It wasn’t that hard to get him to see reason.” He shrugged as if it was no big deal, when it was in fact a very, very big deal.

She gripped his face in her hands.

“Ben Solo, I don’t even know how you are real. I can’t begin to tell you how much this means to me. To be able to put the past behind me - to start again.”

“Oh, maybe… twenty thousand pounds worth?” He chuckled.

She smiled cheekily in response.

“True… I think you deserve some kind of commission, or finders fee or something,” she said thoughtfully, tilting her head to one side. 

He frowned and shook his head. “I don’t need anything like that. I just wanted things to be square for you.”

Her hands trailed down his throat, then settled lightly on his broad chest.

“There is something I can think of. It’s a win-win really,” she looked up at him through her lashes. “If you’re up for it.”

He immediately caught her meaning.

“Oh, I’m up for it,” he replied, nodding furiously.

“Before we start, I have supplies if we need them, but I still have an implant, and just to be safe I had a test after… well after things ended with Poe. So I’m all clear.”

His eyes grew wide and he rolled his lips.

“Well as luck would have it, the company insists on regular testing for everything. I’m all clear too.”

"So, we don’t need to be careful then…”

"Looks like,” He said lightly, but his face told her that this was anything but simple.

“Shit,” she said softly, this was going to be incredible and she trembled in anticipation. “Um… so should we take this to the bedroom?”

He nodded. “I think that would be best.”

She climbed from his lap and extended her hand; as he took it, she marveled at how his large hand covered hers as he stood next to her. She led the way to her bed; nothing had ever felt so right. There were no more nerves or worries, just the need to be as close to him as she could be. To be vulnerable with him and he the same with her. They sat on the bed together and he gently cupped her cheeks, his eyes drinking in every single detail of her face. He held her gaze for a moment, then leaned in to kiss her, his thumb softly stroking the skin of her throat. He pushed her back into the bed and covered her with his body, his thigh resting between her legs. She ground against him, her desire swelling within her - she was immediately overcome with the need to have him fully seated within her. She ached for it.

She whined when the contact was not enough to sate her hunger. She could feel his mouth fast becoming hungrier and hungrier; she could feel his passion for her pass between them with each lick, suck and nip. 

“Please Ben,” she whispered desperately. He nodded, and they quickly shed their clothing with no care for where they landed - her dress was a crumpled heap on the floor, his sweater on the back of the chair. It really didn’t matter. 

Naked before each other, time seemed to stand still for that moment as they admired each other. His skin looked so warm and inviting, and his muscular chest and arms seemed as if carved from marble. He was peak masculinity - he looked like he could snap redwood logs with his bare hands but also be gentle and tender with small woodland creatures. With a growl she saw he was beginning to grow hard again. She felt like she needed to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

“You’re beautiful - and I’m going to worship every inch of your body for as long as you will let me,” he said thickly, absently palming himself as his gaze settled between her legs. She let them fall apart a little wider as she reclined back against the bed. With a grunt he fell to his knees, burying his face between her legs. His mouth descending upon her like a man possessed; he began to devour her, lapping and sucking at her. All she could do was take it, as a band tightened low in her stomach. 

“Shit,” she panted as it set in that he might possibly be the death of her. “Shit, shit, shit.”

“I love it when you talk like that,” he muttered, his mouth hot against her skin, before recommencing his delicious assault on her. “There is so much I want to get to know about you.”

She keened as he slid a thick finger inside her, curling it up towards her belly. As he stroked the tension inside her she began to buck and moan, grinding her pelvis against his tongue. The coil wound even higher and she knew he meant for her to come - but she didn’t want it this way. She reached between her thighs to fist his hair, as she was beside herself with the need to feel him inside her. As she spoke she heard the whine in her own voice, but she was too gone to mind.

“Please Ben. _Please_ ,” she pleaded. He looked up at her, his eyes locked on hers while he sucked her clit into his mouth. She shuddered in pleasure as he began to pump his fingers, gasping and writhing. It just made her want him more.

“Ben,” she said between gritted teeth staring down at him, “I swear to God, get up here and fuck me.”

He paused, blinking at her for a moment, then leapt on the bed. She could feel his length, seeping with his own arousal leaving a trail up her leg. She wrapped her thighs around him as he sank into her. His face was contorted in bliss, and all she knew was nothing had felt so right. She felt so full in spirit - as well as between her legs. There was a delicious sting in the stretch, which was all at once perfect but all too much. 

“Jesus, you feel amazing,” he groaned.

“You feel big,” she squeaked, desperate to relax around him. His eyes grew wide in panic and she could feel him begin to pull away. She wrapped her legs around him even tighter.

“Wait. Just give me a moment,” she panted.

He shifted slightly to rest his hands on either side of her face. His warm brown eyes were so soft as he looked down at her; she felt as if she could drown. He kissed her tenderly and she began to relax around him. She rotated her pelvis and they both shuddered in unison. 

“Are you okay?,” he asked softly.

She nodded quickly, moaning as he began to move inside her. She was still tightly gripped around him, but with each gentle thrust and probing kiss, he was able to move a bit more. She was pinned beneath him, completely captured in his passionate embrace. This was not just two bodies meeting together, it was two hearts and souls, and she knew she would never be the same after this. She could not willingly go back to the existence of solitude and isolation. He was the half to her whole - it was only until she met him had she understood she was incomplete.

Sensing her readiness, he began to move harder and with greater intensity. She whimpered as he began to hit a place deep inside her that felt so exquisite, her whole body began to tingle with pleasure. She cursed and clung to him harder, deepening their kiss and moving her hips to meet his. He lifted her pelvis higher and she cursed again.

“What you do to me,” he groaned. She couldn't respond, as much as she wanted to. As she opened her mouth, all that came out was an unintelligible stream of noise as the sensations began to completely overwhelm her. She dug her fingernails into his arm as if to anchor him to her and he stuttered, impaling her even harder. He liked his pleasure mixed with a little sting it seemed, which unleashed a spike of animalistic passion in her. He set about a blistering pace, pounding into her as he puffed his cheeks from exertion. Their bodies slapped together with each snap of his hips. This man was going to be the end of her.

A wall of pleasure was building within her as she began to clench around him, and he growled in appreciation. Her breathing was coming in sharp pants, punctuated by her own grunts and moans each time a fresh wave washed over her. His eyes never lost hers for a moment as he drank her in. She wanted to push the stray lock of hair that had wandered across his forehead, but she could not find the will to move. She clenched around him again, she felt an intimate and beautiful sensation like she had never known before.

“That feels amazing,” she breathed.

“Christ yes,” he agreed, thrusting into her harder. She dug her nails into his again and he growled. “Cheeky minx, I’m going to fuck you into the mattress for that.”

He continued to pound into her, and she began to make a high pitched keening sound.

“You sound so beautiful when you come, baby,” he said grinding his hips into hers. 

“So close,” was all she could gasp.

“Do you need more help?” he grunted. “I’m about to explode, I don’t think I can hang on much longer.”

“Please,” she whispered. As he pushed himself up onto his forearms he snaked his hand between her legs, softly stroking her clit at first and then increasing pressure and speed as she moaned for more. She dug her fingers into his shoulders as the wall of pressure within her broke like a dam. She bellowed as her climax tore through her, desperate to keep her eyes open to look at him. With each fresh wave she pulsed around him as he kept a relentless pace with his thumb and hips. Soon she too felt him shudder within her as he growled in her ear, and she was filled with his pleasure as they rocked together. There was something euphoric about about crashing over the edge in unison and then falling into blissful aftershocks that softly ebbed away. Sated, they laid together still joined for several moments, trying to catch their breath. Rey felt blissfully heavy and relaxed - there was nowhere else she would rather be. Eventually she felt him gently slip out from her and they both let out a resigned sigh.

She felt him seep out of her - she loved it - it was as if he had claimed her in return.

He fell onto his back and she wasted no time snuggling into the crook of his arm. Her hand cupped his cheek as he lazily stroked her back. They lay in contented silence, her face resting on his broad chest.

“I have to say,” he said. “Of all the jobs I have completed and in all the places I have visited, this is by far the best and most rewarding.”

She lifted her head to look at him.

“Really? I have to say, it was rather exciting at the party. I could relive that night over and over again - except of course when you left. I missed you so much.”

It was uncharacteristic of her to be so vulnerable; but she didn’t know of any other way to be after what they had just shared. He looked down at her and chewed the inside of his cheek.

“What if you could come with me? What if you didn’t have to miss me?” 

She furrowed her brow in confusion.

“What are you talking about?”

“I want you to join me Rey; I need more operatives like you. You’ll need to pass the recruitment process and training just like everyone else, but together it seems we are unstoppable.”

She blinked slowly, allowing his works to sink in. Could she do it? Could she leave the safe existence she had and live a life of adventure with Ben? She wasn’t sure, but there was an excitement deep in her belly at the idea of it.

“Can I think about it?” she asked carefully.

“Of course my love,” he smiled, and she melted at the term of endearment. His love. She belonged to him. “Take all the time you need.”

He yawned and stretched like a cat. A very large cat.

“It’s time for sleep now. I don’t think either of us are in a position right now to make any life altering decisions. You have worn me out, Rey Niima, and I look forward to a redo in the morning.”

She grinned. “Now that’s something I can agree to without any further thought.”

They shared a gentle kiss goodnight and snuggled into each other before falling asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to keep abreast of the all new adventures of Ben & Rey's Detective Agency - don't forget to subscribe to the series.
> 
> Thank you lovely readers - I have been so happy with the attention this little story has received. It means so much. Kudos to you.


	9. Snippet from Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 2: [Take it to the Limit> is now posting!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24106465/chapters/58029397)
> 
> Rey just started Resistance Recovery Solutions “spy school”, but is already facing the ultimate challenge. Can she keep her relationship with her instructor Ben Solo a secret from her competition.... and his mother?

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As always there are sexy times and romping. In fact there is one scene in Chapter 5, well - its hot.

Here's a snippet of Chapter 1

* * *

Rey slid her panties up her thighs, lifting herself up off the back seat of Ben’s car to pull them over her backside. She smoothed down her denim skirt and adjusted her t-shirt. If she had known she would be clambering all over the car’s interior, she would not have chosen a white top for the journey. 

“You know, it's lucky you allowed extra time,” she giggled as she watched him tuck himself back into his pants. Ben had insisted on taking her from her home into Piccadilly Station - but it seemed the journey was taking longer than expected with the carnal pit stops they were making along the way. 

Ben snorted. “Luck has nothing to do with it. Meticulous planning was needed to ensure maximum fuckage before we take our vow of celibacy. This has to be the last one; the roads get more populated from here - less out of the way spots for me to do what I want to you.”

Rey grinned impishly. “Like an audience ever stopped you before - I can recall the lounge at Highton House, the alley off main street….on the beach after dark.”

The side of his mouth pulled in a smirk. “In my defence the first two were merely kisses - although the beach was decidedly a home run.”

She snorted. “As if your kisses are merely kisses, Ben Solo. They are anything but.” She sighed softly. “I don’t know how I’m going to live without them.”

He squeezed her thigh lovingly.

“Four weeks. You will be so exhausted you won’t have the chance to think of taking advantage of your instructor.”

Rey wasn’t sure - as far as she was concerned she would need to be in a coma before she would not want to ravage him. The last eight weeks had shown her that. He squeezed her tighter and nuzzled her cheek.

“I feel it too, Rey. It’s going to kill me not to touch you, to have to hide how I feel about you. But it’s for the best. Then, when you make the cut, we won’t need to hide anymore. People will see how amazing you are.”

He shifted his body so he could look at her, his expression serious. “Training will be brutal. I should know - because I designed it. You have some very tough competition.”

She knew he was right. She needed all her focus on beating her competition - not on him. 

“Then I’m glad Maz is keeping my job at the hotel open for me,” she laughed nervously. 

“You can always go back,” he nodded. “But I don’t think you will need it.” he grinned.

She wished she shared his confidence in her.

**Author's Note:**

> I love comments and kudos!!
> 
> I hope you have enjoyed this chapter. If you enjoyed it, maybe you might enjoy some of my other works:
> 
> Soft and porny  
> [Son of a Preacher Man](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19937509). Rated E, 18/18 Complete In 1969, Pastor Han Solo and his son Ben arrive in a small town in the deep south. Rey is immediately drawn to Ben, but she soon senses that all is not what it seems when it comes to Ben and his father. What is the secret they are keeping, and will it tear Rey's world apart?
> 
> [Business Class](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21531223). Rated E, 1/1 Complete. Ben Solo is cocooned in the safety of the Business Lounge at Heathrow Airport, waiting to fly back home to attend a funeral. When he meets a fellow passenger, Rey, their connection turns out to be far more than he anticipated.
> 
> Funny and porny  
> [Rey’s Spit Roast to the Rescue](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21418585). Rated E, 1/1, Complete Rey has been salivating after Ben Solo, while doing the catering for his new movie. Today is a special day - his first full frontal nude scene, so Rey prepares a special meal in honour of the great man. 
> 
> [The Cable Guy](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19025113/chapters/45183406). Rated E, 5/5, Complete Ben is a cable technician... and Rey has a lot of trouble with her cable. A LOT OF TROUBLE!
> 
> [Tousled Tresses](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18704443/chapters/44361079). Rated E, 3/3, Complete. Rey has just started a new rewards program at the hair salon she and Rose run together. It’s called the “Special Customers Club.” Current Membership - 1
> 
> Adventurous and porny  
> [I’ll make a man out of you](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20270341/chapters/48048070). Rated E, 5/7, Incomplete - was going to be completed around TROS but then TROS happened. Will finish it because I need to write sex in a suit of armor.. Based off the Disney Mulan movie.
> 
> Porny but at work this time  
> [Window to My Soul](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18813127/chapters/44640265). Rated E, 9/9, Complete. Life is treating Rey really well. New job, new office, and a hunky stud muffin occupying the office across from hers. Pity it turns out he is her mortal corporate enemy, and she promised never to fraternize with the competition.


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